Recreation
by FMAotaku
Summary: Some people want to recreate themselves. They want to make themselves better. However, some people, the crazy ones, want to recreate the world. Hana Dupont is one of those crazy people. She wants to help get rid of the Titans, and someday live beyond the walls. But...will she live to see the day when humanity is finally victorious over the Titans? Armin/OC
1. Chapter 1

The harsh sun beat down upon Hana Dupont's ebony hair. The warm, dry air caused a single drop of sweat to form on her forehead, run down her cheeks, drip off her chin, and finally land onto her brown leather boot.

It was _sweltering_.

And it didn't help at all that Hana was forced to stand stiffly in a soldier's position. Plus, she didn't even know how long the new military recruits had to stay outside in the blazing hot weather.

She sighed, feeling her brown uniform jacket slightly chafe against her arms.

Finally, at the very front of the rows and rows of new military recruits, a man appeared. He had tan skin that was rough and worn from the elements. He was completely bald, and had a small tuft of brown facial hair jutting out from his chin. The man was wearing a thick green jacket. Hana guessed that he was going to be involved in the training of the new recruits.

"MY NAME IS KEITH SHADIS!" he boomed, which caused Hana to slightly flinch. All of the recruits' heads snapped his way, and they all gave him their full attention, so he began speaking again. "The 104th Cadet Boot Camp starts right now! I will make sure to make it my personal goal to put all of you cadets through_ hell_! If I've done my job correctly, you will all be waking up from nightmares of this place, every damn night for the rest of your _miserable lives_! RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE ALL WEAK AND USELESS! BUT, OVER THE NEXT THREE SOUL-CRUSHING YEARS, I WILL TURN YOU PISS-HEADS INTO SOLDIERS!"

Hana's heart thumped rapidly in her chest. She knew that the leaders at Boot Camp would be harsh and loud, but she was already getting scared. In fact, deep down inside of her, she wondered whether or not she should actually go through with becoming a Titan-fighting soldier.

But, she quickly threw that thought aside. "No. There is no way I'm backing out of this now. I'm going to become a soldier. I will _not _let myself get scared away." She scolded herself silently.

"Alright! Let's get a peek at the new recruits this year, shall we?" Shadis said with a malicious grin.

He walked forward, and Hana could hear his heavy boots scrape against the dirt as he took each step.

As he walked along side the rows of recruits, he eyed each one carefully. All of the recruits were obviously very intimidated by him, because Hana saw that after he passed each person, their bodies tensed up nervously as he brushed past them.

Eventually, Shadis stopped walking and stopped in front of a short boy that was standing only a couple rows away from Hana.

"Hey, you! State your name!" Shadis barked at him.

He immediately placed his right fist onto his chest, saluting Shadis.

"My name is Armin Arlert, and I am from the Shiganshina District!" Armin shouted.

Shadis scowled at Armin, and in response the blonde boy slightly winced.

Hana turned her head, and looked at the boy, who's name was apparently 'Armin'.

"Armin is a nice name…and he has such nice hair, too…" Hana murmured, too quiet for anyone around her to hear.

Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she admired the thick mop of blonde locks that sat atop of Armin's round head.

"Who in the world gave you such a _stupid _name, cadet!?" Shadis squawked.

"My Grandfather named me, sir!" Armin replied, trying very hard to keep his voice even and steady, and not shake with fear.

"Cadet Arlert! Why did you decide to join the military?" Shadis shouted, while moving closer to Armin.

"I joined the military to help humanity overcome the Titans, sir!" he answered, his voice now becoming shrill and high.

"That's good to hear! Now, turn around, you runt!" Shadis commanded, apparently satisfied with Armin's answer.

Armin turned around and Hana could see his muscles relax after Shadis walked away.

Hana could feel Shadis coming closer to her, and she silently begged that he wouldn't go to her next. But, just her luck, he stopped right in front of her, his tall body towering over Hana's small one.

"State your name!" he screamed, and Hana attempted to muster up all of her courage to reply. However, she was so nervous and scared, that when she tried to say her name, no words came out.

"DO YOU HAVE COTTON IN YOUR EARS? I SAID STATE YOUR NAME, YOU MAGGOT!" Shadis roared, and Hana clenched her teeth, and saluted him.

"M-my name is Hana Dupont! I'm f-from the Stohess District in Wall Sina!" Hana stammered.

After she revealed that she was from the Stohess District, Hana heard many of the other recruits gasp and whisper. Her whole body trembled as she felt hundreds of eyes on her.

Shadis raised his eyebrows. "So, you're a little princess from the Stohess District? Why did you join the military, you pipsqueak?"

Suddenly, a blast of courage spread through Hana. Her short black hair flung fiercely as she spoke.

"I joined the military so I could aid humanity's effort of destroying all of the Titans, sir! I also would like to help avenge the deaths of all of the fallen soldiers who lost their lives before me! I wish to live to see the day when humanity is finally victorious!"

Shadis just stared at Hana. By this point, every single other cadet had their eyes on her. They all didn't expect such a loud, brave speech coming from such a small, trembling girl.

"Well, if you wish to live to see that day, you're going to have to go through hell the next few years, Cadet Dupont!" Shadis finally said, his voice now quiet and deeper.

Shadis stared at Hana for a few moments longer, until he eventually continued walking, stopping at another cadet. He was a tall boy with brown hair. He stated his name, and Shadis continued to scream at him, as he did with Armin and Hana.

Hana let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her hands still shook nervously.

Eventually, all of the other cadets had turned their heads back forward, no longer staring at her.

With the exception of a certain blonde haired boy.

Armin kept his dark blue eyes on her, and his mind was racing.

He thought that it was odd for someone to leave the comfort of a home within Wall Sina to join the military. To live there, her family must have been quite wealthy.

"She doesn't seem like someone who descends from a rich family…" Armin thought.

A light breeze started to pick up. It caused Hana's short black hair to ruffle softly.

Hana sighed. A hint of blush was still left on her cheeks from the embarrassment of all those people staring at her earlier. In fact, she could sense one pair of eyes still settled on her.

She slowly swiveled her head to the side, and her violet eyes met Armin's blue ones.

His pale face turned red, because she had caught him staring at her. He quickly averted his gaze from her, embarrassed.

Hana had to stifle a laugh. She thought he looked adorable when he was flustered.

Then, Hana heard Shadis shouting at another cadet, who was eating a boiled potato right out in the open. Hana furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why a girl would be eating at such an odd time.

After Shadis ordered 'Potato Girl' to run laps until she collapsed, all of the other cadets were sent to the mess hall to eat dinner, and then go to bed. Their first official day of training would be tomorrow.

* * *

Hana looked down at her 'dinner'. It consisted of an awful smelling soup, and hard bread. That meal was very different from the expensive meals Hana was used to eating. However, she knew of a certain girl who probably needed the food more than she did.

Hana, while carrying her bowl of soup and bread, walked through the mess hall, and stepped outside, onto a porch. She walked over to a small group of people who were gathered on one end of the porch.

"Excuse me. Sorry for bothering you, but do you know where Sasha Braus is?" Hana asked the group after sheepishly approaching them.

All five of them snickered, and then the tallest boy in the group spoke up. "You mean Potato Girl? She's over there." The boy pointed to the left, and Hana smiled.

"Thank you!" she called over her shoulder, and jogged down the porch steps and to the direction he pointed.

Hana watched her feet as she ran. She frowned. She felt so bad for Sasha. Shadis had ordered her to run until she literally dropped from exhaustion, and he told her she couldn't have dinner either. All of that was punishment for when she was eating a potato earlier. Hana decided to give her food to Sasha, because she must have been starving.

Suddenly, Hana felt a sharp pain collide with her chest, and she was knocked over into the dirt. Her head slammed into the ground, and she groaned from the head ache that was already forming in her cranium.

"Oh! I-I'm so s-sorry! Are you okay?" a voice frantically asked.

Hana rubbed her forehead, and look up at the blonde haired boy standing above her. He extended his hand to help her up, and she gladly took it.

"I'm s-so sorry for knocking you down! It was all my fault! I wasn't watching where I was going!" he babbled on. Hana stared at his dark blue eyes.

Then she smiled. "It's okay. I wasn't watching where I was going either. No harm done."

Then, Armin's eyes traveled down to her uniform, and he gasped.

Hana looked down too, and groaned.

She had spilt the soup all over her uniform.

"Great…" Hana mumbled sarcastically.

"I'm so sorry…you must hate me now, huh?" Armin whispered. He looked like he was about to cry.

Hana grinned. "Of course I don't hate you! It's okay, I forgive you. I'll just get a spare uniform."

Armin sighed, while looking at his shoes. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"I promise." Hana nodded.

A tiny smile spread across his face, and he finally looked back up at her.

"Well, I'm going to go change now. What's your name again?" Hana asked, still presenting him a friendly smile.

"Armin Arlert. What's yours?"

"Hana Dupont. Nice to meet you, Armin!"

Then, Hana said a quick goodbye, and trotted back into the mess hall.

Armin watched her small figure retreat into the building.

"I hope I get to see her again…" he thought happily.


	2. Chapter 2

The blankets they provided in the girl's military dorms were surprisingly thick and well-made. The beds were overall quite comfortable, and they kept the dorms at a reasonable temperature.

However, the good accommodations in the dorms were probably to make up for the inevitable nightmares the recruits were going to go through.

Right as Hana fell asleep, her vivid flashback began.

* * *

Hana was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She was in her most trusted friend's dining room, sitting at his large, dark oak table. She let out a shaky breath.

Adam positioned his wheel chair at the opposite end of the table. He sensed the heavy, dark aura that surrounded his best friend, Hana.

"Hana…what's wrong?" he asked, while bringing a spoon full of soup to his lips.

"I…" Hana began, but she couldn't finish her sentence. She clenched her teeth and burst into tears, burying her face into her hands.

Adam immediately dropped his spoon, and it landed harshly into his bowl of soup, causing the liquid to spill everywhere.

He quickly wheeled over to the other side of the table, and rested his large, calloused hand onto her small, pale exposed shoulder. She was wearing a brightly colored dress with small straps, like she always did. Despite her colorful, happy attire, tears still poured from her violet eyes.

Adam gently rubbed her back, and whispered calming words into her ear.

About a minute later, he pulled away from her.

"Now, tell me what's wrong." he demanded, his voice strong yet soft.

Whimpers were all that came out of Hana's mouth. She was still too distraught to explain why she was crying.

Adam nodded, and waited patiently for her to gain the courage to speak.

Eventually, she was able to pull herself together enough to speak.

"I...I'm going to join the military. I'm leaving for training today." She mumbled, her voice soft and uncertain.

Adam wasn't surprised by the news. He had listened to her babble on and on about joining the military many times before. So, he simply nodded.

"You know that training is going to be tough. It's going to last for three whole years." He reminded her.

Hana nodded, her violet eyes avoiding his gaze. "I know. But, I think I'm ready."

Adam sighed, and placed his hand on her shoulder one again. "You can't just _think_ that you're ready. You have to _know_."

It took all of her strength to not burst into tears again. She thought she was ready to join the military, but in reality, she was quite terrified.

"Hana," he pressed, "_I _was in the Survey Corps, and I've told you first-hand what it's like. It's horrifying, and most people don't make it out alive. I'm lucky, because I was able to escape an expedition outside the walls with only breaking my spine. However, you know how that injury left me."

Hana glanced down at his wheelchair. She already knew that during an expedition, an aberrant Titan had smashed him against a tree with such a force to break his spine and leave him paralyzed from the waist down. Adam had told her the story in detail of how it happened again and again, and even after hearing the story so often, it always left her with a tinge of pain in her heart whenever she looked at his wheelchair.

"This could happen to you." Adam stated, gesturing down at himself. "So, please, think through your decision carefully."

Hana blinked back more tears. "I-I don't want to sit back in the comfort of Wall Sina and do nothing. I want to help humanity, even if it's just a b-bit. If I have to give my life for the sake of bringing us to v-victory, then that is a small price to p-pay."

Adam nodded. "Alright. Then how are you going to tell your parents?"

Hana's head shot up and she looked directly at him with scared, desperate eyes.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell them! I haven't spoken directly to them for so long...So, what if they don't let me go? What if they forbid me to join the military? What do I do then?"

Adam's dark brown eyes closed, and Hana watched him think carefully. The wrinkles by his eyes crinkled up more.

His eyes finally flickered open, and he sighed. "If you _really_ want to join the military, it doesn't mater what your parents say. They can't stop you."

Hana nodded, and her violet eyes flashed with determination.

"I'm going to leave soon, so I'm telling them right now. Thank you for everything, Adam. You're the best friend I've ever had…T-Thank you."

Adam smiled softly. "You're the best friend this old man has ever had, too."

They both laughed, and pulled into a quick hug.

Hana stood up, and walked to his front door.

She grinned. "Goodbye."

His dark eyes softened, and he watched her tiny figure step out into the warm afternoon sunlight. She closed the door behind her with a creak.

Hana felt the mostly dead, yellow grass of the field crunch underneath her shoes. She stood still for a moment, letting her pale skin soak up the sunlight. A warm breeze cloaked the air, and teased her short black locks.

She sighed, and then continued walking towards her home, where she was going to spill the news to her parents, and then leave for military training, which she had already signed up for.

She entered the house, and instead of feeling the crunchy grass beneath her feet, she felt the cool, smooth tile of her massive home.

Hana maneuvered through the house, and eventually made it to the living room, where her Mother and Father were reading and drinking tea.

Her Mother sat in her grey velvet arm chair, and she daintily sipped expensive tea from a light blue teacup, which had intricate designs etched into it, made of gold. It was her favorite tea cup, and she was always drinking out of it for as long as Hana could remember. Her Mother had a book with a brown leather binding sitting forgotten on her lap. She had her long black hair up in her usual tight bun, and she was wearing a green silk floor length dress.

Hana barely turned her head to see her Father reading a thick book and sipping at his tea. She didn't want to look at him directly, because the fact was that her biggest fear was of her Father. Hana didn't even know why exactly she was so terrified of him. Maybe it was because of his almost lifeless, steel-grey eyes that pierced into her soul every time he glanced at her.

Anyways, he was seated in a large grey armchair almost identical to his wife's. His black hair was slicked back against his head, and his grey eyes stared intently at the book he was reading. He had on a freshly pressed white button up shirt, and black slacks.

Hana had no idea what her parents were always reading, but she never bothered to ask them.

She felt cold standing there in the room with her parents. She sat silently, and they hadn't even realized she was in the room until her Father looked up and scoffed.

"What do you want, Hana?" he asked annoyed, turning his eyes back to his book.

Her Mother looked up and scoffed as well.

Hana tried to speak, but her throat seemed to swell and close up. All she let out was a squeak.

Hana's Mother stared at her, and watched as nervous sweat formed on her now slick forehead.

Her Mother rolled her eyes. "Really, Hana? Stop standing there like a damn _fool_ and tell us what you want."

Hana's heart was thumping against her chest, and she even felt bile crawl up her throat.

"I-I c-came here to t-tell you s-something." She finally managed to say. She was so nervous, she felt light headed, like she was going to faint any second now.

Her Father set his book down in his lap and glared at his daughter.

"Well then spit it out! And, for goodness sake, learn how to speak properly and not trip over your words!" He said, his voice laced with venom.

Hana's skin went two shades paler, and she now had to swallow back the vomit in her mouth.

"Useless, foolish girl…" Hana heard her Father mumble under his breath.

Hana's eye sight got blurry, and her ears rang. Her body was ready to pass out.

However, she _had_ to tell them. So, she tried her best to pretend that her parents were her most trusted friend Adam, and that she was just having another casual conversation with him.

"I came here to t-tell you I'm joining the m-military!" Hana said, much louder than she had wanted.

Her Mother rested her face in her hands, and didn't say a word. On the other hand, her Father's face turned slightly red, and his hands shook.

He was _furious_.

He leapt out of his chair, and bore holes into her with his angry, steel grey eyes.

"You fool! I can't believe that you are my daughter! You shame our family name every single day! Go on, and join the military! Join the Survey Corps! And, do me and your Mother a favor, and get yourself _killed_!" he shouted.

Hana's heart dropped, and her eyes widened.

Her Father walked over to the front door, and flung it open, and gestured for her to leave.

"Go! Get out! Now! Join the military and leave this family in peace!" he boomed, his usually neat black hair now messy.

Hana was so surprised and scared, that she couldn't move. Her entire life, she knew her parents didn't love her, or feel any parental emotion towards her. However, she thought that they at least _liked_ her a small bit. But, apparently, they just considered her a mistake. Most of Hana's time would be spent outside in the field, or at Adam's house. She rarely talked to her parents, because she had been scared of them her whole life.

Hana's feet moved forward, and she stepped out the door. Her Father still looked at her with cold, almost evil grey eyes. She turned to her Mother, and hoped so very _desperately_ that at least the woman that had given birth to her would show even the slightest shred of love or affection towards her.

But, her Mother just stared dully back at her, with bored violet eyes. It was almost as if her Mother was saying 'If you get killed or not, I wouldn't care either way. As long as you are away from us, I'm happy.'

Hana couldn't keep it in anymore, and her eyes filled with tears. "D-did you two even ever love me? At all?"

Her Father answered her with a look that was ten times worse then the scariest look he could muster. He gave her a look that would scar Hana for the rest of her life after that.

A look of total _disappointment _reflected in his cold eyes.

Tears soaked the neckline of Hana's dress.

Then, her Father whispered to her, and his voice was low, and husky.

"If a miracle happens and you somehow make it back home someday, don't bother coming back _here_. You are dead to us now, and we no longer want you in our lives."

After hearing that, Hana felt numb. She was too sad to feel pain.

"Okay… I understand now. Goodbye, Auguste. Goodbye, Elaine." Hana mumbled, calling them by their first names, which she always did ever since she was very young.

With that, Hana walked away from the house. Then, she turned around, and saw her Father and Mother just outside of the house, watching her leave.

Her Mother looked dull, and bored, like always.

And the look of disappointment her Father had…

Killed her inside.

But still, Hana turned back forward, took a deep breath, and walked away.

* * *

"AAHH!" Hana screamed, and shot up in bed. She was breathing heavily, her throat was dry, and tears stained her cheeks.

She looked around the room. Thank goodness she hadn't woken up any of the other girls in the dorm.

She laid back down, but her breaths were still heavy and sharp.

Hana turned over, and buried her face into the pillow, and cried.

Then, her body eventually gave in, and she fell back asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Hana woke up the next morning, groggy and still tired.

She sat up in bed, and stretched, working all of the kinks out of her body.

She got dressed, and followed the rest of the girls to the mess hall for breakfast.

As she was walking, Hana just stared at her slowly shuffling feet. Her mind was fuzzy, and her hands still slightly trembled at the thought of her nightmare last night.

Since she wasn't thinking strait, a sudden pain of impact spread through her chest.

Hana squealed, and fell onto the ground.

She looked up, and saw a tall girl with dark, black hair that was a little longer than hers. She had smooth, pale skin and was staring daggers into Hana's soft violet eyes.

Hana mentally slapped herself. It was only her second day in the military, and she had bumped into two people already.

"I-I'm so sorry…I'm such an id-" Hana began, but the oriental looking girl she had bumped into stopped her.

"It's fine. Your name is Hana Dupont, right?" she said, extending her hand out.

Hana took her hand and grinned. "Yeah, that's me. What's your name? I don't remember seeing you around here."

"I'm Mikasa Ackerman." She said, the corners of her mouth slightly curling up into a smile.

Hana smiled back. "She's really pretty." she thought.

Although she thought she was pretty, Hana couldn't help but notice Mikasa's distant, stoic form. She wondered if she was always so cold to others.

The two raven-haired girls then exchanged goodbyes, and continued walking to the mess hall.

* * *

Hana stared down at her food, and listened to the faint growl of her empty stomach. She hadn't eaten anything yesterday, because she had ended up with all of her food spilled on her after she had bumped into Armin.

She set her spoon into the murky brown broth, and craned her neck. Hana peered through the crowds of cadets who were scrambling to find seats with their friends to eat at. Finally, she spotted the small boy with a mop of blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He was nibbling at his bread and chatting with the people at his table.

Hana brought the spoon to her lips, and her eyes were still locked on Armin. She slurped the foul-smelling soup. Just as she thought, it was disgusting. But, she was starving, and she didn't want to waste her food.

She quickly choked down the rest of her food, while watching all the bustling activity in the mess hall. It took awhile for Hana to notice that she was sitting at a table all alone, whereas everyone else was eating at a table with all of their friends.

Hana sighed. The only friend she ever had in her entire life was Adam. She felt a tinge of sadness inside, as she wondered if she would ever make friends in the three years she would spend in military training.

But, she quickly tossed that thought aside. She decided that making friends wasn't _that_ important, and that she should just focus on her training.

However, Hana couldn't help but feel a deep longing for someone nice and interesting to talk to.

Shouting in the mess hall brought her out of her thoughts. She glanced up, and saw Eren Jaeger and Jean Kirschstein arguing loudly over by the table where Mikasa, Armin, and a few others were sitting at. It seemed like Eren and Jean were always fighting, and it was only their second day together.

After lingering on them for a few seconds, Hana's violet eyes flickered back over to Armin.

The morning sunlight that streamed in through the window hugged his blonde locks, highlighted his round face, and illuminated his deep blue eyes.

Her cheeks heated up. She found him immensely cute.

Soon, all of the cadets finished up their breakfast and filed out of the mess hall to start their day of training.

* * *

Hana's back ached _terribly_. There was also a tension forming in her shoulder blades, which was something she had never experienced before. By growing up in a wealthy family, she never had to do any type of physical labor before. She had a quite small and petite figure, so exercise was never really her cup of tea.

Shadis had ordered all of the cadets to run laps and do push-ups that day. She had been yelled at and given extra exercise by Shadis because of a "lack of effort". However, she really _was_ trying her best, but her body just wouldn't keep up. She almost passed out a couple times while running laps.

That last activity of the day was every cadet had to strap themselves into 3D Maneuver Gear, and then be lifted off the ground. Their goal was to stay steady in the gear, and not fall over.

Most of them succeeded, but a couple cadets flipped over almost immediately. One of those cadets was Hana.

By the time she was lifted up into the 3DMG, every muscle in her body was _screaming_. Once she was hoisted up, she couldn't keep steady, and her body flipped over, causing her head to be only a couple inches away from contacting painfully with the ground.

She and the other cadets who had failed to keep steady on the 3DMG were going to be offered a second chance the next day to try again. If they failed being able to keep steady in the 3DMG a second time, they would be kicked out of training.

Hana's tough spirit kept her going. She used her strong will as motivation. She kept telling herself that there was _no _way she was going to let herself down by failing that test tomorrow. There was just no way.

All the cadets were heading back to their dorms. Sweat layered Hana's light skin, and she took in deep, heavy breaths.

As she was walking, she tried to rub her sore biceps, but it was no use. They still hurt tremendously.

Hana turned the corner, and entered the girl's dorm along with all the other girls. She flopped onto her assigned bed, and groaned in agony. She had never been more tired her entire life.

At this point, all of the cadets could either head to the mess hall to get dinner, or hang out in the dorms.

Hana was much too queasy to want to eat, and she found the dorms too crowded and loud for her liking. So, she trekked out of the dorm and through the hallways.

"There's gotta be a library in this place somewhere…" Hana mumbled. She wandered the halls a bit more, and eventually came down a long corridor that led to a large wooden door.

She smiled weakly, hoping that this was the place she was looking for. Sure enough, she slowly opened the door, and stepped into the library.

Hana had no clue if she was allowed to be in there. She didn't usually break the rules that often, but that particular afternoon she was completely wiped out, and just wanted to relax and read for a little while.

As she roamed further into the room, she weaved through the rows and rows of book cases, which were all filled to the brim with large leather-bound books.

Hana frowned once she realized that there weren't any signs in the library to tell which genre each book case held. So, she eventually decided to just pick one at random.

She rested her pale fingers gently onto the edge of a dusty book, and swiftly pulled it off the shelf. She studied the cover.

She traced her fingers along the dark blue lettering of the title, which was 'A Brief Description on Titan Anatomy'.

She flipped it open, and leafed through the pages. It was just a bunch of boring sketches and facts about Titans' bodies.

Hana sighed, and placed the book back on the shelf.

She walked a bit further, and flipped through a couple more books. They were all about Titans, too.

Hana spent the next ten minutes venturing through the library, hoping to find a book on something other than Titans, 3DMG, or the military. But, alas, she was unsuccessful.

_Every single_ book was about one of those topics.

Eventually, Hana gave up and just settled with a book titled 'The Proper Use of Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear'. At least if she read that book, it might help with her test with 3DMG tomorrow.

Hana wrapped her arms around the book, and glanced over to the very back wall of the library. She made a bee-line to a comfy-looking chair, which was stationed beside another identical chair which were there for people in the library to sit in and read at.

She sat down, and let out a sigh. Usually, she would be happy to sit in a completely empty library and read by herself (although her library back home was MUCH larger), this time she desperately wanted someone to talk to.

Hana's violet eyes raced across the page, absorbing all of the information.

* * *

For the next half hour, she was glued to her book. Although at first she found it pretty boring, she eventually grew to be a bit interested in it.

She was _so_ caught up in her book, in fact, that at first she didn't hear the footsteps echoing in the library.

Suddenly, Hana felt a warm presence standing in front of her, so she slowly lifted her head from her book.

Standing in front of her, was Armin, who had a pile of books balancing in his arms.

"Oh…hello! S-Sorry if I startled you." Armin said, struggling to keep all of his books from toppling over onto the floor.

Hana's face dusted light pink. "W-what are you doing here, A-Armin?"

Just then, his pile of books spilled from his hands and dropped onto the floor, pooling around their legs.

Armin rubbed the back of his neck, and blushed. "Sorry about that…"

Hana smiled softly, and bent over to begin picking up the books.

"W-wait! I'll pick them up! You don't have to." Armin insisted. He then dove down to reach for the books, and then Hana and Armin's heads collided.

"Ouch…" Hana mumbled, touching the now tender spot on her head.

"Oh! I'm so very sorry! I-I didn't mean to hit your head! I swear!" He pleaded, while wincing at his own pain.

Hana just giggled, and flashed him a crooked grin. "It seems like whenever we see each other, we end up getting injured, huh?"

Armin nervously laughed, and began to smile too. Blush was still evident on his face. "Yeah, I guess we do…"

Hana then proceeded to pick up the rest of his books and place them in his hands. "Wow, you picked up a lot of books…"

Armin smiled, and nodded. "When I found out that there was a library here, I got really excited. I love to read."

Hana then sat down in the chair, now with an excited smile on her face. "Really? I love reading too! Back home, my parents had an enormous library, and I could spend hours upon hours in there. Eventually, I read every single book we owned."

Armin laughed, and sat down in the chair beside her. "You read every single book? That's really cool!"

He picked up the book on the top of the pile, and flipped it open. He stared at the page thoughtfully. "Back at my home, my parents didn't have very many books. However, they did have a few books about the _outside world_."

Hana's eyes grew wide, and her mouth hung open in awe. "Your parents had books about the _outside world_? Like, the place outside of the walls!?"

Armin smiled, and his blue eyes shimmered joyously. "Yeah! The books said that in the outside world, there's frozen water, and mountains of sand! One book even talked about an 'ocean', which is a HUGE body of _salt water_!"

Hana gasped, and leaned towards Armin even more. "Salt water!? An 'ocean'!? Tell me more!"

So, then, Armin talked on and on all about what he had read about the world outside the walls in the books his parents had. Hana was shocked and amazed. Her parents had _never_ talked about outside the walls, so she barely knew anything about it.

A blush painted across Armin's cheeks as he could feel the heat radiating off Hana, because she was so close to him. But, he still continued telling her all of the wonders of the outside world that he had read about.

After running out of things to say, Armin stopped talking, and sighed. His deep blue eyes dropped sadly.

"I want more than anything for humanity to finally defeat the Titans and to be able to explore the outside world with Eren and Mikasa. They are my best friends…" Armin whispered, his voice shaky and sad.

Hana nodded, and smiled gently. "Well, Armin…can I ask you a question?"

Armin looked at her, and studied her expression. "Y-Yeah. A-Ask me anything."

Hana sighed, and looked down at the book in her lap. "I-if we both ever live to see the day when everyone can finally roam free outside of the walls…will you take me along with you to see the ocean?"

His eyes widened. He thought for a moment, and then said "Of c-course. You can come with me, Eren, and Mikasa if you'd like."

Hana's face lit up and she smiled, looking him strait in the eyes. "Really? Do you promise? Do you promise that all four of us will see the ocean together someday?"

Armin smiled, and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I promise."

She laughed, and then leapt out of her chair. She tackled Armin into a tight hug, and his face turned deep red.

He then smiled, and finally returned the hug.

They eventually separated, and Hana grinned. "We should hang out in the library again sometime. I'd really like to hear more about the outside world."

Armin nodded, still blushing. "Y-yeah. W-we should h-hang out again."

"Well, it's probably almost curfew. So, we should head back to the dorms. See you later!" she chirped happily.

She then waved goodbye, and walked off, disappearing into the maze of book shelves.

After she left, Armin stood there, bewildered.

"She's really…n-nice." He murmured to himself, feeling the heat return to his cheeks.

* * *

Hana laid in bed, and buried herself underneath the covers. All of the other girls were in their beds too, about to fall asleep.

She sighed contently. She felt really comfortable around Armin, as if she had known him forever. She also really enjoyed listening to him talk about the outside world.

Hana noticed how _happy_ and completely _peaceful _he looked when he talked about outside the walls.

She smiled as she recalled his gentle smile when he spoke.

Her eyelids soon grew heavy, and she fell asleep.

That night, she dreamt of frozen waters, mountains of sand, the ocean…

And him.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a week since Hana and Armin had last spoken to each other.

Hana passed her test of being able to stay steady on the 3DMG with flying colors.

After her talk with Armin in the library, she was in a great mood for the rest of the week. However, although she was optimistic, every day of training left her completely exhausted and worn out. Even though she and Armin had agreed to meet in the library again, Hana was always _way_ too tired after each day of training. She usually skipped dinner, and just went to the girl's dorm, where she would fall asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

On the other hand, Armin wanted very much to be able to tell Hana more about the outside world.

So, he returned to the library every single night, even if he was tired after a long day of training. He wanted desperately to see her again, so he spent hours in the library at night, hoping that she would eventually show up.

And he waited.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into a month.

But she never showed up.

Eventually, Armin gave up at waiting for her to hang out with him at the library again.

* * *

"Armin, what's wrong?" Mikasa asked, grasping a small loaf of bread in her hand, about to take a bite.

Armin looked up at her with dark blue eyes. He sighed.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just…tired." He replied, then going back to slowly eating his breakfast rations.

Eren's deep green eyes then shot over to his blond best friend.

Eren frowned, and suddenly felt an intense guilt surge inside his belly. He felt somehow responsible for Armin's sudden state of sadness.

"Armin…why have you been acting so down lately? Are you starting to regret joining the military? I'm so sorry…I'm the one who made you join…I'm such an idiot…" Eren trailed off. His usually determined facial features now drooped sadly.

Armin's eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously. "No! Please, don't feel responsible, Eren! _I _chose to join the military. It was my decision. There's no need to be worried about me, I'm just a bit tired."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes at him, and studied his face closely.

"You're sad because you haven't been able to talk to Hana, right?" Mikasa said, with a stoic, blank expression.

Armin's pale face quickly turned flaming red.

So, Mikasa had found out the truth.

He lowered his head, and stared down at his lap, avoiding his friends' gazes.

"Yeah…I guess. I'm just pretty bummed out that we haven't talked for awhile…" He mumbled.

Eren's mouth hung open in surprise after he heard Armin say that. Mikasa just wore a subtle smile. She was glad she had guessed right.

Eren whirled around, and looked across the mess hall to see Hana sitting at a table, eating by herself.

He turned back forward, and knit his eyebrows at Armin.

"When did you become friends with _that_ girl?" Eren said, putting an emphasis on _that_.

Armin looked at him with blazing, angry eyes. "Don't talk meanly about her! She's really nice! I talked with her in the library awhile ago, when we first started training."

The three friends all turned around to look at Hana once again. She was across the mess hall, staring into her bowl of soup.

Hana's violet eyes glanced up, and saw Mikasa, Eren, and Armin all staring at her.

Her eyes widened, and she blushed.

"W-why are they staring at m-me?" she mumbled to herself.

Hana wanted to talk to Armin again, too. But, with all the commotion of training, she never had the chance in the past month.

Soon, all of the cadets finished their breakfast, and headed outside for another day of grueling training.

However, as soon as all of the cadets were lined up outside, Shadis apparently had a _different_ plan for their training today, instead of the usual laborious exercise, 3DMG training, and titan education.

"LISTEN UP, MAGGOTS!" Shadis snapped, while his eyes bore holes into each cadet. "Today, we're doing something different! Today, you piss-heads are going to get to have a little experience with what it's like fighting actual titans!"

The rows of cadets suddenly erupted into gasps and whimpers.

Hana's eyes widened.

"We're…going…to fight…actual titans today?" she thought.

Her stomach churned. She'd never seen a real titan before, or even knew what they really looked like. All she knew is that people said they were _terrifying_.

"SILENCE!" Shadis roared, and then all the cadets went silent.

"You cadets aren't going to be fighting _actual _titans, you will slicing into dummies that will represent titans!" Shadis finally confirmed.

All of the cadets let out a breath of relief.

Shadis then continued on to explain the training activity the cadets were going to do today. They would all assemble into teams of four people. Then, each team will compete to find and kill as many fake titans as possible. The exercise was supposed to be a team-work practice.

"Alright, everyone! Find your group of four people! And, remember to choose wisely!" Shadis barked.

All of the cadets then scrambled to find a group. In only a couple seconds, most people had dispersed into small circles of their friends.

Hana, however, just stood in the middle of the large area, not moving at all.

Her heart dropped when she saw no one walk over to her asking if she would join their group. No one even offered her an apologetic glance.

She frowned, and began walking over to Shadis to explain that she didn't have a group, when she suddenly heard someone call out her name.

"Hana! Hana! Over here!"

She immediately recognized that voice.

Armin ran over to her, his blonde hair bouncing as he caught up to her.

He grinned, his face slightly red.

"A-Armin? What are you doing?" Hana asked. Her heart fluttered slightly when he spoke. But, she didn't know why.

"Do you want to join a group with me, Eren, and Mikasa?" He asked, gesturing behind him.

Right on cue, Eren and Mikasa walked up beside him.

"Are you sure you want me to be in your group? I don't want to intrude…" Hana trailed off, staring down at her boots, in attempt to hide her embarrassed face.

"You're not intruding! We want you to be in our group! Right, Eren? Right, Mikasa?" Armin insisted, turning to face his friends.

Eren nodded, and offered a small smile. "Yeah, sure."

Mikasa's face was stoic as usual, but she tried her best to show a sincere smile.

"Great! Let's go get our Maneuver Gear then." Hana said, grabbing Armin by the wrist and gently pulling him towards the station where the cadets were putting on their 3DMG.

Eren and Mikasa slowly trailed behind them, quietly laughing.

"What's that girl's name, again? I keep forgetting. She seems to really like Armin." Eren asked Mikasa with a smirk.

"Her name's Hana Dupont. And, yes, it seems to be that way." Mikasa replied, with a subtle smile.

* * *

All of the cadets had their gear on, and were ready to start the training exercise. All of the teams were positioned in the middle of a large area surrounded by trees. Once Shadis gives them a signal, each team will be able to begin trying to find one of the titan dummies and 'kill it' before someone from a different team does. Shadis and a few other higher-up military officials were watching the cadets closely to make sure that no one could cheat.

"READY? SET? GO!" Shadis yelled, and all of the cadets zoomed off on their 3DMG in all different directions.

Eren was the first person to fly off on his 3DMG in Hana's group. Mikasa followed him closely behind, then Armin took off, and lastly Hana hesitantly took off as well.

They all latched onto trees and flew strait ahead. A group was already in the direction their team was going, and Eren was determined to get ahead of them.

Hana grinned wildly as she soared through the air with her 3DMG. She had used the gear in training a couple times before, but nothing quite like this.

Her short black hair flew in every which way, and her heart swelled with happiness. She felt like she was flying. She felt…

_Free_.

The way the breeze weaved through her locks, the way the sun gently kissed her pale skin, the way it felt to soar through the air…

For a moment, she completely forgot all of her troubles. She forgot about evil of the titans, and the humiliation of being ruled by them. She forgot about heavy strips of sadness that layered her heart. Instead, all of that was replaced with a warm feeling…a warm feeling that almost didn't seem real.

"WOOHOO!" Hana shouted, flipping through the air while her Maneuver Gear detached and reattached from one tree to the next.

Eventually, Eren smiled and looked behind him to the rest of the group. "Guys! I found one!"

Mikasa, Armin, and Hana all looked ahead and saw what Eren was talking about. In a large grassy area, was a ten-meter tall titan dummy.

The whizzing sound of their Maneuver Gear intensified as the group of four latched their gear onto the dummy, ready to slice into the nape of its neck, just as they had been taught.

Hana gripped the handles of her blades, and clenched her teeth.

One after another, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Hana all took turns slicing into the dummy titan's neck.

The four of them then latched onto more trees to look for the next dummy titan.

As they were flying through the air, Hana looked back at the cuts they had just made in the dummy's neck. Mikasa's cut was by far the best. She had managed to make her cut very deep and wide without much effort. Eren's was second best. His cut was wide enough, but not as deep as Mikasa's. Armin's cut was third best, and Hana's was the least wide and deep.

Hana frowned, and determination boiled in her belly. She needed to do better than that.

The four cadets glided through the air, attaching their 3DMG from one tree to another. Despite being disappointed in her cut earlier, Hana was still actually having a lot of fun.

Then, the four of them came to another clearing, with another titan dummy. However, there were already four cuts in the nape of its neck. They had been beaten to it by another group.

Slightly discouraged, they still continued, and eventually found another dummy titan. It had already been sliced into as well.

"Damn it! Everybody come down here!" Eren yelled. He retracted his 3DMG and dropped onto the ground near the dummy. Mikasa, Armin, and Hana all soon dropped next to him too.

Eren's deep turquoise eyes blazed with stubbornness. "We need to split up! Shadis said that if your group comes across a dummy, only one person from the group needs to cut into it to gain their team a point. If we all split up, we'll get points for our team a lot faster."

Mikasa and Hana both immediately looked to Armin for confirmation. He was so smart, after all.

Armin's cheeks brushed with a light pink at being the sudden center of attention. Then, he sighed, and thought about it.

"Well, I guess that's a good idea, but I think that we shouldn't all go alone. Since there is four of us, we can split into two pairs. I think that would be the safest and most efficient way." He explained.

Mikasa and Hana nodded. Eren thought for a moment, and then finally gave in.

"Alright. But who will partner up with who?" Eren asked.

"I'll go with Eren." Mikasa calmly said. But, that was expected.

"Okay. So Mikasa and I will go together, and Armin and Hana will be partners." Eren confirmed.

Hana turned to Armin and smiled. He blushed.

"Let's go!" Eren shouted, and took off. Mikasa went after him, leaving Armin and Hana standing alone together.

"Uh, so, what direction do you think we should go?" Hana asked, turning towards Armin.

He scratched the back of his neck, and he thought about it. "W-Well, so far all of the dummies have been there when we headed north. So, I g-guess that's the way we should go."

Hana nodded. "Yeah. That seems good. Let's go north, then."

Just as they were about to attach their 3DMG to a tree and take off north, Hana put her hand gently on Armin's arm to stop him.

The sudden physical contact sent tingles up his spine, and he turned to face her, his face deep crimson.

Hana smiled softly.

"I'm glad we got partnered up. I haven't talked to you in awhile. It's nice seeing you again, Armin."

His deep blue eyes widened, and his palms became slick with perspiration.

"Y-yeah…It's nice seeing you again too, H-Hana."

Then, her smile faltered, and she studied Armin closely.

"Why do you act so strangely around me sometimes, Armin?" Hana asked.

He looked down at his shoes, and sighed.

"I guess I just get nervous around you because you're so pretty, Hana." He admitted.

Her heart then started to race, and her cheeks suddenly blazed red.

"T-thank you. That's a really sweet thing to say."

Armin lifted his head, and looked at Hana. She stared curiously back. They both had soft smiles plastered on their faces.

Suddenly, their heads snapped in the direction they heard of the sound of people using 3DMG nearby.

"We should get going. We're heading north, right?" Hana asked.

Armin nodded, blush still evident on his cheeks.

Hana attached her gear to a nearby tree, and took off. Armin slowly followed behind, his knees feeling weak, and his stomach filled with butterflies.

They both sailed through the air, their eyes searching for another titan dummy.

"I can't believe I told her she was pretty out loud…" Armin thought, his deep blue eyes now locked on his partner.

She was grinning from ear to ear, and gracefully soared through the air. She really operated her Maneuver Gear very well.

Armin smiled, still staring at her. He had a lot to learn about her. All he knew was a couple things, like that she used to live in the Stohess District, and that she loves to read. He really wanted to find out more about her.

Armin was so caught up in his thoughts, and he wasn't thinking strait. So, his gear latched onto a very weak branch, and it snapped instantly.

Suddenly, with his gear not attached to anything and being too dazed to react, Armin quickly plunged towards the ground.

"ARMIN!" Hana screamed. She reached out her hand for him to grab, but it was already too late. He had already landed on the hard ground with a thud. Her heart then started to race, and her cheeks suddenly blazed red.


	5. Chapter 5

"ARMIN!" Hana repeated, but he didn't respond. He was sprawled out on the ground, not moving.

She detached her gear from the tree, and dropped to the ground. Her boots collided with the soft grass beside Armin's chest. She knelt down beside him.

Hana's heart raced as she slid her arms underneath him and rested his head on her lap.

His eyes were closed, and a pained groan escaped his lips.

"Armin! Armin! Are you okay? We need to get you to the infirmary!" Hana spoke urgently. She stood up, and placed her small hands underneath his arms. She attempted to lift him, but her tiny arms wouldn't comply.

Her weak biceps struggled again and again, but she still couldn't lift him.

Then, Armin's deep blue eyes slowly opened.

"H-Hana…what are you d-doing?" He asked weakly, feeling the pain of his fall spread throughout his body.

She finally let go of underneath his arms. There was no way she would be able to carry him.

"I was trying to carry you to the infirmary. You really hurt yourself after falling!" Hana replied, frowning. How was she going to get him there if she couldn't even lift him?

"I don't need to go to the infirmary. I'm just f-fine." Armin stuttered, clenching his teeth. His head throbbed. He had hit it on the ground when he fell.

Hana sighed. "Armin, you're not fine! It looks like you hit your head pretty bad."

She then got closer to him, and examined the top of his head. She sheepishly began to search for injuries.

Hana's fingers traveled through his thick blonde locks. His hair was much softer than she had imagined, and this caused her face to redden.

Armin felt the heat radiating from her body, and it caused him to blush profusely as well.

Eventually, Hana softly pressed down on a now tender spot on his head. This caused him to wince.

She nodded, and sighed. "You hit your head pretty bad, Armin."

He sighed as well, and then turned around and looked at her with sad blue eyes. "But what about our training?"

She laughed, patted his back, and stood up. "I don't care about our training right now. I just care about _you_."

Armin's eyes widened as he stood up. His mouth hung open in surprise. He couldn't believe what she had just said. Hana, however, was completely oblivious to how loving her words sounded.

Hana then brushed the grass off of the back of his jacket, and smiled. "Let's go to the infirmary, then. We need to patch you up. Alright?"

He stared at her smile, and he could feel his legs almost turn into jelly. "A-Alright."

They both attached their gear to some nearby trees, and sped off. With Hana in the lead, they wound through the forest until they made it back to the training headquarters.

* * *

Armin sat on a wooden bench in the infirmary, while Hana unraveled a roll of thick white cloth. She then lifted his bangs out of the way, and slowly wrapped his head with the bandage.

"So…how did you end up falling, anyways?" She asked nonchalantly.

Armin blinked. "I w-was distracted."

Hana raised her eyebrows, obviously confused by his answer. "Distracted? By what?"

His cheeks reddened for the hundredth time that day. He tried lowering his head so she wouldn't see the embarrassment evident on his face, but that just caused her to accidentally bump into the sore spot on his head.

He clenched his teeth from the pain, but didn't say anything. She mumbled a quick apology.

Armin knew what he was distracted by. He was looking at Hana. With the way the sun hit her face, she looked absolutely breathtaking.

"Uh, I was distracted by a rabbit that was running around the forest. Since I wasn't watching where I was going, I fell." He lied, refusing the look her in the eye.

Hana, though, fully believed him. "Okay. Does anywhere else besides your head hurt?"

She had finished wrapping his head, and now her violet eyes searched the rest of him, looking for injuries.

"N-no. I'm fine now." He insisted. She then smiled, and he smiled back.

Hana then turned around, and began heading out of the infirmary probably to go inform Shadis about Armin's injury. Before she stepped out the door, Armin softly called her name.

She completely stopped, and turned back around to face him. "Yes?"

Armin's deep blue eyes softened, and he lowered his voice, almost to a whisper. "Thank you, Hana. I really appreciate you bandaging my wound. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

She smiled, and stared at him for a couple moments. She found the way he looked just then completely adorable. He wore a nervous crooked smile, his jacket was still a bit scuffed up from his fall, and the bandage clutched his messy blonde hair tightly.

"You don't have to make it up to me. Saying 'thank you' is enough." Hana assured him.

Armin was reluctant, and he felt guilt grip his heart. "Come on! There has to be some way I can make it up to you!"

Hana then bit her lip, and thought about it. She smiled. "Fine. You can make it up by hanging out with me tonight in the library. I'd like to hear more about the outside world."

Armin grinned, and nodded. They exchanged their goodbyes, and Hana left the infirmary.

After the door closed softly, Armin just sat there, dumbfounded.

Then, he smiled widely.

He could tell that he and Hana were going to become very good friends.

* * *

Soon, the rest of the cadets finished with the activity, and went to the mess hall for dinner.

After she got her plate of food, Hana sat down at her usual spot by herself at a table that was far away from everyone else.

However, today, Armin walked over to her, follow by Eren and Mikasa.

"Hey, Hana! Do you mind if we sit with you?" Armin asked, smiling softly.

She nodded eagerly in return, and grinned. The three then all sat down on the opposite side of her. Almost immediately, Mikasa and Eren began a conversation about that day's training.

While they were talking, Armin stuck up a conversation with Hana. Soon, all of them began talking together, happily giving their opinions.

Slowly, however, other people started to make their way over to Hana's table. Jean, Connie, and Sasha all sat down, and all began talking and laughing and joking along as well. Soon, more and more people came, and the entire table filled. Even then, more people stood by the table, laughing and engaging in conversation.

Hana grinned, looking around at all of the other cadets around her. They were all laughing and smiling, while talking to one another about who knows what. The usually dark and somewhat sad mess hall had become exciting and even cheerful.

Everyone was happy. And, believe it or not, even Eren and Jean actually weren't arguing for once.

That night, Hana slowly began to crack and break out of her shell. The usually stuttering and shy raven-haired girl was now laughing and joking around with her new friends.

It was so nice to see everyone having so much fun together.

A little later, mostly everyone had finished their dinner, and it was about an hour until all of the cadets had to go back to their dorms to sleep.

Hana looked over at Armin, and nodded. He nodded back, understanding her signal.

They both got up, and strolled out of the bustling mess hall. It was so loud and so much was going on in there that they were able to walk to the library unnoticed.

The two of them told jokes and laughed all the way to the library.

"…And that's why I will never trust Eren to give me a hair cut ever again." Armin finished the funny story he was telling Hana.

Hana was giggling so hard, that she was holding her aching sides. Armin was laughing just as much.

* * *

Soon, they made it to the library, and stepped inside. They ambled to the very back of the large room, where their chairs and piles of books still sat untouched.

They both took their places, and picked up a book each. They flipped them open, and began reading, occasionally leaning over and showing the other something interesting that they found in their book.

Then, they both got so caught up in their books, that they stopped talking all together. The silence wasn't awkward, however. In fact, they found the silence quite comfortable.

Eventually, Hana looked from her book and glanced over at Armin. "Uh, Armin?"

"Yeah?" He looked up from his book as well.

"Do you have any family?" Hana asked gently.

Something flashed in Armin's deep blue eyes, and he frowned. "No. I lived in the Shiganshina District in Wall Maria. I don't have any family left."

Hana's eyes softened, and her heart went out to him. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Armin."

He smiled gently. "I'll be alright. I have some great friends, don't I? Anyways, do you have any family waiting for you to graduate from training? You're from the Stohess District, after all."

Hana bit her lip, and looked down at her feet. Armin then instantly started to feel bad for asking.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ask-" Armin began, but Hana stopped him.

"It's okay. I'll tell you about my family." She tried her best to smile.

"I have a mother and father still in the Stohess District. As you know, my family is very wealthy. Because of this, ever since I was young, my parents expected me to act like a high-class proper lady. But, as you might guess, I never did. I loved to go outside, and play in the dirt and such. My parents hated me for it. My entire life without knowing, it seems like I've been going against my parent's will, which just made them hate me more and more." Hana looked up at Armin, and he nodded for her to continue.

"So, since we lived in the innermost wall, I knew little to nothing about the horrors of the titans and about the hundreds of soldiers that were being devoured by them. Then, a former Survey Corps soldier, named Adam Eichmann, moved in next to me. We became best friends, and he was almost like a father figure. He was the one who told me all about the real horrors of the titans. So, of course, I wanted to do something about it. When I came of age, I told my parents I was going to join the military. They were furious, and said that joining the military was foolish suicide. After I didn't back down, my Father finally let out all of the anger and hatred he had been keeping against me all of my life. His exact words were 'If a miracle happens and you somehow make it back home someday, don't bother coming back home. You are dead to us now, and we no longer want you in our lives'. So, even after I'm done with training, I can't go back home. My parents disowned me."

Hana looked down at her feet, and tears dripped from her eyes. "I guess that means that I was just a mistake…My parents wouldn't even care if I died."

She clenched her fists to hold back a heart-wrenching sob that she wanted to let out so very badly. But, she didn't want to seem weak in front of Armin. So she just let silent tears slip down her face.

"Hana…" He murmured, not knowing what to do. He knew he had to comfort her, but he had no idea how to do it.

Armin reached out, and gently patted her back. At the sudden contact, she looked up at him with blurry violet eyes.

And it made his heart melt.

He got up from his chair and slowly pulled her into a hug. She buried her face into his chest, quietly weeping.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer. A tremendous blush stained his cheeks, but despite that, he wanted desperately to make her happy again.

"I'm so sorry, Hana. Your parents are idiots for hating you. You should just forget about them. You have all of your friends now. We're all here for you. We'd do anything for you…_I'd _do anything for you." He said. She tightened her arms around him, and it sent tingles up his spine.

Armin continued, "Please don't cry, Hana. Think about happy things, like about how someday you, I, Eren, and Mikasa will all get to see the ocean together. After that, we'll explore all of the outside world…together."

Hana then let go of him, and separated their hug. Armin couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He missed the warmth of her being there.

She looked up at him, and clenched her teeth, tears still pouring down her cheeks.

"But…what if we don't all make it to that day? What if humanity _never_ wins against the titans? What will we do then?"

Armin pulled her back into a hug, and answered, "We will. Remember? I promised that we would all see the ocean someday. I_ never_ break my promises. _Ever_."

They separated their hug, and Hana looked back up at him once again, this time smiling.

"…Thank you, Armin. I know that you will keep your promise."  
They both smiled, and stared into one another's eyes.

The deep red blush on Armin's cheeks couldn't possibly get any darker. And his legs were starting to turn into jelly now, just like before.

"He's so cute…" Hana thought, now starting to blush as well.

Suddenly, they both remembered that it would probably be about time for all of the cadets to go to bed.

They separated, and waved goodbye. Hana left first, while Armin stayed in the library for a couple more minutes trying to collect his thoughts.

That's when it struck him. The cadets he trained with were all so incredible. After all of the pain they go through, emotionally and physically, they still are able to smile everyday.

Armin beamed at that thought.

Sometimes, though, strong people have to let out their pain, and ask others for help.

"Sometimes…people have to become weak to show how strong they are." Armin thought.

With that, he left the library and headed back to the boy's dorm.

* * *

**Author's Note: Reviews are appreciated! Thanks~ ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6

Weeks passed, and Hana's training was going along well.

Although she was still quite weak, she was getting stronger and stronger, and physical activities were getting easier and easier. Still, though, her hopes of graduating in the top ten students had flown out the window.

She was easily making friends, and even made some best friends. She sat with Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Sasha, Connie, Jean, Marco, and a few others during meals everyday.

As each day of training went by, Shadis started to notice each cadet's personal strengths and weaknesses. His statement about Hana's abilities was:

"Cadet Dupont is a promising soldier. She has proven herself very intelligent in her studies. Although she definitely lacks in physical strength, she is a master with 3D Maneuver Gear. She is very passionate about improving her skills, and is a hard worker. She works fantastically in a team, but not very well on her own. Overall, she is a very dedicated trainee."

For the nights she didn't spend with Armin in the library, (which was three days out of every week), she would try working out and building a bit of muscle. However, since she had such a naturally small frame, it was hard for her to build any muscle. But, she still pushed herself as hard as she could go.

* * *

All of the cadets were lined up outside. They had just come out from breakfast, and were listening to Shadis describe their training activity for the day.

"Today, you will all be practicing hand-to-hand combat. I will be assigning each of you a partner, whom you will be sparring with. Do you all understand?" Shadis questioned loudly.

"YES, SIR!" All of the cadets shouted back in unison. They all balled up their right fist and placed it over their heart, saluting.

Hana resisted the urge to yawn, because she knew it would be considered disrespectful. Dark bags had formed underneath her tired, drooping eyes. She barely got any sleep last night.

Last night was one of the nights she spent with Armin in the library. This time, however, Eren and Mikasa tagged along too, and all four of them stayed up later than usual, talking about anything and everything.

Shadis paced in front of the line of cadets, as he held a clip board in his hands, which had a list of all the people he'd paired up for their training activity.

His dark eyebrows crinkled in concentration as she read off each pair.

Hana was so tired and spaced out, that she almost didn't hear him call her name.

"Cadet Dupont is paired up with Cadet Fiedler."

Hana lifted her head, and looked around. Most of the other cadets had gotten with their designated partners.

"Fiedler?" Hana wondered aloud, swiveling her head to try to locate her partner.

Just then, she felt a finger tap her shoulder, and she whirled around to see a girl with dark brown hair and matching eyes.

Hana smiled brightly, and extended her hand. "Hello! You must be my partner. I'm Hana Dupont. It's nice to meet you."

Hana had only seen this girl a couple times before, and only knew her last name.

The girl stared back with a dull, slightly annoyed look on her face.

"I'm Maya Fiedler." She said, her voice flat and monotone.

Hana's smile faded as she felt the angry aura roll off of Maya.

Not knowing why her partner was so cold towards her, Hana still smiled. "So, where do you want to spar?"

Maya scowled, and got into a fighting stance.

"Right here, right now." She growled.

Hana's heart started beating harder, not knowing what to expect. She swallowed back her fear, got into a fighting stance, and put on the most intimidating look she could muster.

* * *

Hana watched as a stream of red liquid poured from her mouth onto the ground. Maya struck Hana once again, this time her knee meeting Hana's stomach.

Hana doubled over in pain, and collapsed to the ground.

It was only five minutes into their fight, and already Hana's body was covered in bruises. It was obvious that Maya was much stronger than her, so she was loosing by a long shot, almost ready to give up.

By this point, a crowd of other cadets had formed around the two. Many people looked at the poor bloodied and bruised raven-haired girl on the ground with looks of sympathy.

Hana peered through half-lidded eyes at the boots of a couple cadets who were standing near her.

Maya snickered, and then bent down next to her. She whispered into Hana's ear, her hot breath tickling her skin. "Wow, Hana. You're even weaker than Armin. And that's pretty surprising, because he's the weakest little bitch I've ever met."

Hana's breath caught when she heard Maya say this. Immediately, anger boiled in her stomach, and her heart raced.

Suddenly, a burst of adrenaline pulsed through her blood, demanding to be released. A loud battle cry exploded from her small chest as she fiercely leapt back up onto her feet.

The crowd around them erupted into cheers, as they were all rooting for Hana to win, who was apparently the underdog in this fight.

Hana positioned herself back into a battle stance, clenching her fists.

Violet eyes met brown ones as she and Maya tried to stare each other down.

The previously rowdy crowd suddenly fell silent, just watching the two, waiting eagerly to see who would make the next move.

Obviously tired of just standing there, Maya dove at her. Hana quickly grasped Maya's wrist, and using all of her strength, flung her furiously onto her back in the dust.

When Maya weakly tried getting back up, Hana swung her leg and hit her harshly in the back of the knees, causing her to fall back again. Maya grabbed at Hana's ankle, but her effort was futile as she fell backwards, onto her back. Her breath was momentarily taken away from her.

When Maya steadied herself back onto her feet, Hana swung her right fist, which then connected painfully into her opponent's jaw.

The violet-eyed girl continued to throw punches, each one knocking viciously into Maya's jaw and cheeks.

Hana put the strength of her whole body into her punches. Anger shook through her, making her hands slightly tremble.

"How _dare_ she call me and Armin weak!" Hana screamed in her mind.

As Hana continued punching, the crowd went wild, and excited whoops and shrieks clouded the air. Everyone was extremely impressed. They never expected such a small, quite girl like Hana to be able to fight so greatly.

With one final vicious punch right underneath the chin, Hana knocked Maya into the dust.

Just then, Shadis pushed his way through the crowd, and then into the middle of the circle. He looked in shock at the sight of Maya sprawled helplessly on the ground. Hana towered over her with clenched fists and blood still streaming from between her chapped lips.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" Shadis roared, swiveling his head around, his furious eyes demanding an answer from someone.

When no one answered him, he turned around to face Hana.

He pointed a tanned finger in her direction. "You! Tell me what the fuck just happened!"

Suddenly, all of the bravery and strength Hana had possessed a few seconds ago seemed to slowly drain away.

"I w-was fighting the opponent you assigned me, s-sir!" Hana replied sheepishly. She glanced down at Maya who was still on the ground, and she was suddenly showered with guilt.

"Although, I suppose I went a little too hard on her just then…" Hana trailed off.

"Well, you two idiots are causing a scene!" Shadis turned around to face the crowd, "All of you maggots need to return to your training! NOW!"

With disappointed groans, the crowd quickly dispersed in all different directions, and soon everyone got back to training.

Hana extended her hand out to Maya, and smiled gently.

"I'm really s-sorry if I hurt you really badly. Do you need help to get up?"

Maya slapped her hand away, and stood up herself. She glared wrathfully at Hana, clenching her teeth.

* * *

Hana was sitting on a bench off to the side of everyone training. Maya had begged to go to the infirmary, so that's where she was now. Maya hadn't actually been _that_ badly injured, but her ego had been pretty bruised, because Hana had humiliated her in front of everyone.

If anything, Hana was the one who needed to go to the infirmary. Even though Hana had ended up winning in the end, Maya had landed more than a few good hits on her during their battle.

Hana tried to not move at all. If she did, her entire body would groan in pain.

Just then, she lifted her head as she heard quick footsteps heading towards her. She brushed her bangs from her eyes, and saw Armin running towards her, holding some object in his right hand.

"Hana!" He called, and finally stopped in front of her, panting heavily.

"Armin! What are you doing? Shouldn't you be training right now?" Hana asked.

Still struggling to catch his breath, he replied, "After your fight with Maya, I ran all the way to the infirmary to get a roll of bandage. Then, I ran all the way back here. Anyways, are you okay? Where are you hurt?"

Hana laughed, relaxing her shoulders. "Thank you, Armin. You're my hero."

She then proceeded to describe to him all of her injuries, and he wrapped each one carefully with the white cloth he'd taken from the infirmary.

"Honestly, I had no idea you could fight like that, Hana. When I saw you, I was amazed." Armin said while he began wiping some of the dried blood off of her face with a small napkin he took from his pocket.

Hana chuckled. "Well, don't expect me to fight like that ever again. I was just lucky this time."

Armin laughed in a way that made her stomach flutter and her heart melt.

He fixed the cloth he had wrapped around her right bicep. "You looked pretty angry while you were fighting her. Are you two enemies or something?"

Hana looked down, and sighed. "No. She just said something to me that made me furious. My anger motivated me to fight harder."

Armin knit his brows. "What did she say?"

Hana avoided his gaze, and contemplated telling him the truth or not. She eventually decided to be honest.

"Maya called you weak, and then said I was weaker. Then she called you awful things, and it pissed me off." She mumbled.

Armin looked up at Hana, startled. "Maya called me weak? Then she called _you_ weak?"

Hana nodded, and sighed. "Yeah. I'm surprised you don't seem that upset about it."

He shook his head. "Actually, I'm more upset that she called you weak than whatever she said about me. If she ever says anything like that to you ever again, I'll be _sure_ to give her a piece of my mind."

The corners of Hana's mouth pulled into a smile. "Thank you, Armin. I appreciate that."

Then Armin, feeling suddenly bold, wrapped his arms around Hana, pulling her closer. Hana soon melted into the hug, grinning wildly.

* * *

Soon, Shadis called all of the cadets into the mess hall for lunch. Surprisingly, he even gave them all the rest of the day off to do whatever they wanted.

During lunch, Armin sat in between Mikasa and Hana. Eren sat opposite of them all, conversing with Hana about the different types of activities they did during training.

Then, Hana excused herself from the table to go to the restroom.

While Eren began talking to Connie, Mikasa nudged Armin in the shoulder.

He turned to her, sipping his water. "Yeah?"

Mikasa leaned in closer, and began whispering to him.

"Does Hana know your romantic feelings towards her yet?"

Armin's eyes bulged out of his head, and his water spurted from his mouth and onto Jean, who had just sat down in front of him.

"What the hell, Arlert?" Jean growled. Eren was laughing hysterically at Jean, who was now soaked.

"S-sorry Jean." Armin stuttered.

Jean, who was mumbling curse words under his breath, got up to go find something to dry himself off with. Armin turned towards Mikasa, his cheeks blazing red.

"What are you talking about? I don't have any romantic feelings towards Hana." He whispered, trying his best to keep a strait face.

Mikasa obviously didn't believe him.

"I've seen the way you look at her." She stated, in a monotone voice.

Armin sighed sadly. "Even if I do, I can't do anything about it right now. I need to make myself useful for humanity. I need to focus on my studies and training, so I can make sure that what happened to my grandfather won't happen to you, Eren, or Hana."

Mikasa nodded, quite moved from his little speech.

Armin clenched his teeth, and swallowed back tears. "Just the _thought_ of any of you three dying at the clutches of a titan makes me so sad. I never want that to happen. _Ever_."

Just then, Hana strolled into the room and sat back down in her seat next to Armin.

She glanced over at her blonde friend, and saw that his eyes were red, and tears started to form.

"Armin…" Hana murmured, her eyes softening.

She pulled him into a hug, and rubbed circles on his back soothingly.

"What's wrong?" She whispered, her heart aching at the sight of Armin almost in tears.

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

Deciding to not ask any further questions, she continued to try to calm him down.

But, the thought of his best friends possibly dying stayed in his mind.

Then, his mind wandered to the promise he made to Hana.

_"Really? Do you promise? Do you promise that all four of us will see the ocean together someday?"_

_ "I promise." _

Being stirred out of his daydream, Armin turned towards Hana, his eyes blazing with determination. "I'm going to keep my promise. You know that, right?"

Hana smiled softly. "Of course I know that, Armin."  
Armin and Hana then returned to eating with their left hands, while their right hands were intertwined together.

Mikasa noticed this, and smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hana! If you're not going to eat your meal, give it to me~" Sasha begged in a sing-song voice. Hana sighed, and pushed her bowl of murky green soup towards the brunette, and she immediately began slurping it down.

Everyone at the table laughed as Sasha savagely inhaled Hana's soup. That was expected of Sasha, though. Meal time was definitely important to her, and she would always walk around the mess hall begging for more food even after she finished eating her own rations.

It was many months into their training. In fact, it had almost been an entire year since the 104th trainees squad had begun.

Before Sasha had interrupted by begging Hana for her food, Hana and Eren had been deep in a conversation about how many other cadets had either quit or had been thrown out of training.

"Almost an entire third of trainees have left training, and we're not even done with the first year." Eren said, annoyance gripping his voice.

Hana nodded solemnly. "I know…I can't believe that people would just give up so easily."

Cradling his plate of food, Armin then sat himself between Eren and Hana, just as he always did.

"Hey guys!" Armin greeted the table of his friends. Everyone gave him a small 'hey Armin' or a smile in acknowledgment.

Continuing with their conversation, Eren said, "I think that all of the trainees that dropped out are just a bunch of cowards."

Mikasa nodded in agreement. Hana shrugged.

"I don't know," Hana spoke, "Some of those people were kicked out of training because they were just too physically weak. In fact, _I _almost got kicked out during the first few months. I don't think that makes them cowards."

Armin nodded. "I agree with Hana. It wasn't their fault that they weren't muscular and fit."

Eren scoffed. "It _is_ their fault! If someone wants to be strong, they could've worked themselves out. Hana is proof. She was a twig when she first started, but now she actually has some muscles."

A smile tugged at Hana's lips because of the small compliment from Eren. He didn't give compliments very often, so it was nice to hear.

And it was true. Hana could barely get through any physical training at the beginning, but now some actual muscles poked out from her arms and stomach. Still, though, she was one of the weakest members of the squad.

Just then, Hana felt a strong, warm arm wrap drape over her shoulders. She knew right away who it was.

Jean Kirstein.

He lowered his face to her level. "How's my princess doing today?~" He whispered, causing a light blush to claim Hana's cheeks.

Hana rolled her eyes, and did her best to smile. Jean always called her 'my princess'. At first, it started out as just a casual nickname. Eventually, though, people sensed that it had turned into something more, based on how much Jean flirted with Hana all the time.

"Oh, uh, hi J-Jean." Hana stammered as she realized that he still hadn't removed his arm from around her shoulders.

"Your hair looks lovely today, my princess." Jean whispered, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

"That's kind of creepy, Jean. I don't think that Hana likes to be called that." Sasha said, her voice slightly muffled because of the bread stuffed in her mouth.

"I guess I don't really mind you calling me that." Hana said incredulously, taking a sip of water.

Jean smirked, and then his eyes scanned for a place to sit at the table. He then decided to nudge himself between Armin and Hana.

Armin grinded his teeth together angrily and glared at Jean.

Doing his best to keep his voice calm and even, Armin said "Jean, not to be rude, but _I _was sitting next to Hana. So, please move."

Jean chuckled, thinking Armin was joking. "But, the thing is, that the prince needs to be by his princess."

As Jean scooted closer to Hana and even wrapped his arm around her, anger boiled in Armin's stomach.

"Why_ do_ you call me princess?" Hana asked, starting to feel uncomfortable by Jean's close proximity.

"Well, you're from the Stohess district, right? Everyone there is rich. So, you're basically a princess." Jean explained.

Hana frowned. She didn't like to be reminded of her old home. And she didn't like to be called 'rich' either.

It was no secret that her family was very wealthy, but she honestly didn't care about how much money her parents had. She knew that her parents didn't use their money to do good anyways. They were selfish, cruel people, who disowned their own daughter.

Hana's shoulders dropped, and fresh tears collected in the brim of her eyes.

Armin noticed this. "Are you alright, Hana?" he asked.

Jean heard this, and looked over at Hana, now seeing her on the verge of tears as well.

He turned towards her and pulled her into a hug. "Everything's okay, Hana. Please don't cry."

Armin clenched his fists furiously.

"You better let go of her right now! Only _I _can hug her! And how _dare_ you call her your princess! She's _my _princess and mine only!" Armin screamed in his mind. He wanted desperately to push Jean off of her and wrap his arms around her instead. But Armin didn't want to cause a scene in the middle of the mess hall during breakfast.

Hana soon gently pulled away from Jean's embrace, and smiled. "Thank you for trying to comfort me, Jean. I just don't like to think about my family."

Although she was touched by his attempt at comforting her, her heart still clenched painfully and she held back tears.

Jean smiled back, and nodded. "No problem. I'd do anything for my princess."

By this point, Armin couldn't take it anymore.

"Jean! Take your arms off of Hana!" He growled quietly.

Jean turned to Armin, laughing. He wiggled his eyebrows. "Are you jealous or something, Arlert?"

Armin blushed, and clenched his fists tighter, his knuckles starting to turn white. "No, I'm not jealous! I just…think that Hana would want her space."

Jean laughed even more, and rolled his eyes.

Hana then got up to go dispose of her lunch tray. While she was gone, Jean leaned over to Armin.

"You do know that I'm just joking around, right?" Jean whispered.

Armin furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

Jean sighed. "I don't actually have a crush on Hana. I've just been pretending to for awhile now to see how you would react."

Armin's jaw hung open slightly. "So you've been just been doing an experiment the whole time!?"

Jean nodded, and laughed. "Yeah. I predicted that you would get jealous. And, I was _definitely_ right."

Armin blushed even harder. "No I wasn't! You're crazy, Jean."

Jean just rolled his eyes again, and turned back towards his food. Hana finally returned to the table, this time sitting next to Armin like before.

Hana turned to face him, and smiled brightly. "Your hair looks really nice today, Armin."

"T-Thanks." He replied, wringing his hands together nervously.

Her grin widened, and she reached up to touch his neat blonde locks. She stroked his hair for a few moments, before putting her hand back down.

"Your hair is always so soft…" She murmured.

Before Armin could respond, the bell sounded to start the day's training. All of the cadets escaped from the mess hall, ready to start the day.

* * *

Instead of being greeted with the harsh sun once they stepped outside, they instead stood under a dark, cloudy sky. The air was moist, and it was even sprinkling rain a little bit.

Most of the cadets rejoiced at the change of weather. At least they wouldn't have to stand out in the sweltering sun all day.

Hana felt the tiny drops of rain tangle into her dark hair. One large drop fell onto her forehead and made its way down the bridge of her nose.

After a few minutes of Shadis explaining that day's training activity, the rain started to come down harder. Eventually, it was almost completely pouring.

Although Hana usually hated rainy and dark days, but this day was different. The pouring rain energized her, and made her feel almost invincible. She felt like she could do anything.

Hana ran over to Eren, Armin, and Mikasa who were all talking together in a little group while they put on their green ponchos.

"Hey!" She greeted enthusiastically. She offered them a bright smile and a happy attitude that provided a nice contrast to the gloomy, freezing weather.

Eren, Armin, and Mikasa laughed at the sight of their friend being suddenly so happy despite being soaking wet.

"Hana, you're completely soaked!" Armin chuckled.

Hana giggled, and involuntarily shivered. "You guys are all soaked, too!"

"Well, come on everyone," Mikasa said with a small smile, "Let's go start today's training."

The four of them then trudged through the muddy terrain to where all the other cadets were.

* * *

Their activity for the day was to hike up a slippery, muddy hill during the pouring rain. They've done this activity once before, and it didn't turn out very well. Hana slipped and fell at least five times, and even almost passed out from exhaustion. Same with Armin.

Hana's heavy boots slapped against the mud as she ran. All of the cadet's running had started out in unison, but then eventually everyone began going at their own pace.

Armin and Hana were at the very back of the pack, as expected. Hana was trailing behind Armin by a few steps.

"I'm so…tired. I don't know if I can go on." Hana groaned between very heavy breaths. Shadis had to yell at the two of them a couple times earlier to pick up their pace. Armin looked behind him at the exhausted Hana. "Keep running! We're almost there, I promise." He encouraged.

Hana sighed, and nodded. But her legs felt like jelly that was going to collapse any second now.

Armin was tired too, but he wanted to stay strong in front of Hana. So, he pushed his body to its limits to continue the grueling run up the hill.

Suddenly, Armin heard a loud _splat_ behind him. He stopped running and turned around.

There was Hana sprawled out across the ground, face first in the thick mud.

Armin couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

He then trotted over to her, bent down, and wrapped one of his arms around her waist to pull her out of the mud. After he pulled her out and sat her up, he saw that her eyes were closed, and she was breathing slow.

She had passed out.

Armin sighed, and looked around. The rest of the cadets were way ahead of them, and if Hana didn't get up soon, Shadis would find her and she would be harshly punished. And Armin couldn't let that happen.

So he put one arm underneath her legs, and the other supporting her back. He stood up, holding her bridal style.

Although he was extremely exhausted, he carried her all the way to catch up with the other runners. He would occasionally look down at her sleeping form in his arms to check if she was doing okay.

Hana wore a gentle smile while she was passed out, and Armin thought she looked beautiful like that, despite her face, hair, and uniform being caked with mud.

While he was running, to take his mind off how tired he was, he decided to think about something to distract him.

His mind traveled to earlier that day. He thought about how angry he felt when Jean put his arm around Hana. He thought about how much he wanted to punch Jean for doing that. He thought about how surprised he was when Jean told him that he was joking, and just wanted to make him jealous. He thought about how his heart skipped a beat when Hana had run her fingers through his hair.

Armin looked down at Hana still in his arms. She was gripping his poncho with her right hand weakly, and she still had a peaceful look on her face. Light snores even escaped her lips.

"Sleep well, my princess." Armin murmured with a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

It was the day before the 104th Trainee Squad's graduation ceremony. It had been three years since Hana had begun training, and she was able to live through it. Tomorrow was the day when she and the others would pick which branch of the military they would be in.

The choices were: The Garrison, which reinforced the walls and protected every town, The Survey Corps, who ventured outside the walls and fought titans on their home turf, and The Military Police, who would reside in the innermost wall and protect the King, regulate the population, and maintain order.

However, only the top ten graduating students could choose to be in the Military Police. The top ten students in the 104th Trainee Squad were as follows: Mikasa Ackerman, Reiner Braun, Bertolt Hoover, Annie Leonhart, Eren Jaeger, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Connie Springer, Sasha Blause, and Krista Lenz. Ymir would have been number ten in the top ten, but purposefully slacked off and gave up her spot to Krista.

Although Hana didn't make the top ten, she was very happy for the people who did. She noted to herself that she would congratulate each person who made it later.

"Dedicate your hearts!" A man shouted.

All of the trainees were gathered outside, standing in rows. It was night time, therefore dark out. However, it was early enough to see clearly. The top ten students were lined up in front of the rest of the cadets.

Everyone saluted proudly, shouting "Aye!" in unison.

The Military Official at the very front was explaining each of the choices that the trainee graduates could choose.

After listening to the man's speech, all of the graduates went into the mess hall to celebrate.

* * *

Happy and relieved shouts soon filled the mess hall. People were clinking together their glasses, and cheering that their training was finally over.

Hana gripped the handle of her mug tighter. The fact that people were celebrating made her uncomfortable. For some reason, in the pit of her stomach, celebrating just felt…wrong.

"Did you try your drink yet?" Armin asked, stirring her out of her thoughts.

Hana looked up, and brought herself back to reality. She forced herself to smile. "No, I haven't yet. Is it good?"

Armin looked back down at the brown liquid swirling in his mug. "Well, it's a lot better that the odd-tasting water they usually give us."

Hana looked down at her drink as well, then taking a sip. The drink was sweet. _Very _sweet.

"It's good." She said, taking another sip.

Mikasa and Eren walked over to the two of them, each holding a mug in their hands.

"There you are. We were looking for you. Somehow we knew you two would be together." Mikasa greeted Armin and Hana with a small smile. Eren stayed quiet, his face looking angry and deep in thought, as it always did.

Everyone was wearing their casual clothes instead of their uniforms.

Back at home, Hana's 'casual' clothes would have consisted of a brightly colored dress made of expensive, fine fabric. But, now, she was just wearing a white button-up shirt, a long brown skirt that went to her ankles, and her normal uniform shoes.

"I forgot to mention, Armin, that you look very handsome in your casual clothes. I don't get to see you in them that often." Hana said, taking another swig of her drink.

Armin smiled widely, as his blonde locks tickled his pink cheeks. "T-Thanks. You look nice tonight, too."

Hana, Mikasa, and Armin then launched into a conversation about the weather lately, until two people walked over to the four of them.

One boy with short blonde hair and thick sideburns walked over to Eren.

"So you seriously aren't joining the Military Police, Eren?" The blonde boy asked, amazed. The brunette boy beside him added, "You did all that work to make the top ten, after all."

"I'd already decided when I began," Eren looked up at them, "I wasn't training to live in the interior. I was training to fight titans."

Eyes wide, the blonde boy shouted, "But you'll never beat them!"

Everyone in the mess hall turned around to watch the scene unfold.

The blonde boy's face turned red at the sudden attention everyone was giving him. The mess hall was completely silent except for the quiet sounds of fire crackling in the torches up on the walls.

"Do you know how many tens of thousands have been eaten!? We lost over twenty percent of our population, we know for sure." The blonde boy lowered his voice, "Humans _cannot _defeat titans."

Hana blinked, and swallowed nervously. She felt a cold tenseness slowly settle into the room.

"So?" Eren finally spoke, his loud voice piercing into the uncomfortable silence, "If you think we can't win, you'll just give up!?"

He lowered his voice, and attempted to let the anger slowly drain out of him, "It's true that humanity has only suffered defeat until now. But we didn't know anything about the titans then. Fighting them head-on is pointless. We did lose, but the information we gained gives us hope for next time! Will we abandon the information we gained after all those people died, and let the titans devour us without a fight!? Hell no!," Eren clenched his fists, "I'm going to exterminate all of the titans, and escape these cramped walls! That is my dream!" Tears gathered in his deep green eyes, "HUMANITY ISN'T FINISHED YET!"

Everyone stared at him, wide eyed. He then ran angrily out of the room with a scoff.

Armin and Mikasa immediately ran after him, calling his name worriedly. Hana, however, just stood there, not knowing whether to run after him or not. She eventually decided that she needed to support her friend in his time of need. So, she quickly placed her mug on a nearby table and briskly walked out of the building.

* * *

Hana was able to catch up with Armin and Mikasa, and the three of them soon found Eren sitting on a set of cobblestone stairs outside. He was furiously wiping away tears from his deep green eyes.

The three of them sat down next to Eren.

"Eren, that dream you were talking about a second ago…" Armin began, his voice soft and caring.

"I got that from you." Eren said, "After all of those times you said that you wanted to live outside the walls, not inside. You inspired me, Armin."

Hana smiled at that, but it quickly faded when Armin suddenly said,

"I'm joining the Survey Corps."

Hana and Eren gasped, and Mikasa's eyes widened a bit.

"Are you serious, Armin? You got the best written score, so you should use that!" Eren insisted.

"I won't hold you back, even if it kills me." Armin said firmly.

"I'm joining the Survey Corps, too." Mikasa spoke. Hana and Eren swung around towards her.

"What!? But you're the top graduate! You should join the Military Police!" Eren said, incredulously.

Mikasa looked directly into his eyes, and spoke softly. "If you join the Military Police, then I will too. If you join the Garrison, then that's where I'm going. If you join the Survey Corps, then I'll be by your side. You'll send yourself to an early grave without me, Eren."

Hana stared at her wide eyed. She was very moved by Mikasa's words.

Eren scoffed and looked away. "I didn't ask you to do this…" he trailed off.

"I don't want to loose anymore family." Mikasa finished.

It was silent for a couple seconds. Then, Mikasa, Armin, and Eren turned towards Hana.

Hana sighed, and brought her knees to her chest, and looked up at the starry sky. "I'm going with you guys. I don't care if I'm weak. If I wanted to stay in Wall Sina, I would have done it. I joined the military for one reason: to aid in humanity's victory. Also, I don't think I'd be able to leave friends like you."

All four of them smiled, and looked up at the sky. It was brilliant that night. Instead of the usual dark blue, the sky was a blend of magnificent deep violet and soft grey. A few stars peeked out from in between the clouds. A shooting star streaked across the sky.

After a few more silent moments of admiring the gorgeous night sky, Mikasa smiled and said, "It's getting late. We should head inside now."

Eren and Armin stood up. Armin helped Hana onto her feet, and then the four of them headed back inside.

* * *

The next day, all of the cadets were gathered outside, because the Survey Corps were walking into town that day. Mounted on his horse, Commander Erwin led the group. A couple civilians in the crowd shouted various things at him.

"Look! It's Captain Levi!" A person in the crowd called out.

Everyone turned, and saw the man himself. Hana stared at him with awe.

She had heard about the man many times before. He was known as 'Humanity's Strongest Soldier'.

Hana barely heard a small comment Eren made about the hopeful citizens when she watched Captain Levi ride past. There was something _familiar_ about how he looked.

Jet black hair, steel grey eyes, light skin…

He reminded her of someone. But she couldn't remember who.

Hana then heard Eren teasing Hannah and Franz by calling them 'love birds' or something nearby. They responded by blushing and denying it.

Hana had only spoken to Franz and Hannah once or twice, but she liked them. She thought they were a great couple.

* * *

Later on that day, Hana smiled to herself at the thought that tonight was her graduation ceremony. Tomorrow, she would be an official member of the Survey Corps.

She had to admit that she was proud of herself. She was proud that she was able to make it through three years of grueling training. During the first few months, she was close to giving up. But, fate decided that she would keep pulling on.

Hana glanced over at Armin and Mikasa. Eren was somewhere else, helping out with cleaning cannons or something or other.

She smiled brightly at the two of them, and they returned it. She was so happy that she made such amazing friends over the course of those three years as well.

Suddenly, Hana heard a _massive_ BOOM. It caused her to jump in surprise. Her stomach twisted, and her heart dropped.

She had a _very _bad feeling.

* * *

A couple minutes after the boom, all soldiers were called back to HQ. Hana and the others rushed there, hoping to find out what exactly was going on.

"You trainees have all passed the final training exercise, and now are full-fledged soldiers!" A man shouted while soldiers were dashing right and left in HQ.

It was absolute madness. There was no order, and everyone was panicked. Hana searched the groups of people desperately to find Armin, Eren, and Mikasa. She couldn't see them anywhere.

Eventually, she spotted a head of shiny, black hair. Surely it belonged to Mikasa. Hana dashed that direction, and it turns out it was Mikasa. However, Eren and Armin weren't with her.

Without using words, the two of them communicated with their eyes. They immediately began looking for Eren and Armin together. Soon, they located them and ran to their side.

Armin was kneeling on the ground, trying to connect two gas tanks together. His hands were shaking profusely, and he was drenched in nervous sweat.

"Are you okay Armin?" Eren asked, anxiousness edging his voice.

"I-I'm fine." Armin choked out. His hand still shook, and he still couldn't connect the tanks, "I'll get over it soon enough. B-But were in bad shape. We currently don't have the materials to patch an eight meter hole…And we never even managed to dig up that big rock by the front gate! Since we can't seal the hole, we'll have to abandon the town!"

Hana's hand started to shake as well when she heard Armin's frantic voice. Her violet eyes darted from Mikasa to Eren. It was absolute mayhem, and it seemed like everyone else knew what was going on except for Hana.

"C-Can someone please tell me what's going on!?" Hana squeaked out. She was terrified of the answer.

Armin looked up from the ground at Hana. Sweat streamed down the bridge of his nose. "You didn't hear? The Colossal Titan has returned! And it broke an eight-meter hole into Wall Rose!"

Hana's eyes widened. She felt bile crawl up her throat.

She watched as Armin struggled to keep himself together as well. He was now trembling viciously, in complete panic.

Hana bent down next to him, and placed a shaky hand on his shoulder.

"Armin…" she whispered softly, "Please, calm down. We need you today. You're so very smart, and you need to stay level-headed. It could be the difference between life or death today. Please…keep yourself together."

He looked up at her for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Armin let out a deep breath, and finally connected the gas tanks.

* * *

"Just follow your training! Split into groups!" A man roared at the soldiers. He explained that the plan was to protect Wall Rose with your life, and to eliminate as many titans inside the wall as possible.

Everyone saluted, and immediately ran in all different directions to prepare for battle.

Hana adjusted her Maneuver Gear on herself, and checked that all her blades were there.

She looked around her. Hundreds of soldiers scrambled to get ready. However, they all looked miserable. Some were crying. Some were screaming in horror, and some were even vomiting.

All of them were terrified.

And Hana was no exception. She was scared out of her wits. She had never even _seen_ a titan in her life, so she had no idea what they were like up close.

She took a deep breath, and accepted that today was possibly the last day she would spend alive.

Then she went looking for Armin.

Hana soon spotted his thick blonde hair out of a crowd, and ran over to him. "Armin!" she shouted.

He whipped around and saw her running towards him. "Hana!" he called back.

She finally caught up to him and threw her arms around his torso. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"This might be the last day of our lives." She mumbled, tears stinging her eyes. She could feel his racing heart underneath her.

"Don't think like that, Hana. We'll defeat them. We just have to stay strong." He said, holding her tighter.

She then separated their hug, and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Stay alive today…alright? Promise me that you will." Hana begged.

Armin nodded. "I promise. You stay alive too."

They embraced for a few moments more, before finally going their separate ways for now.

"Please stay safe, Armin. You can't die…I love you too much." Hana thought.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Just as a warning, this chapter includes graphic blood and gore. If you're not comfortable with that, then please refrain from reading it. ^_^ Also, reviews are appreciated~ **

* * *

Hana found herself on the rooftop of a building. She had been assigned to be in the same squad as Armin and Eren, which she was grateful for. Since Mikasa was the top ranked graduate, however, she was put into a more elite squad.

Everyone had on their maneuver gear, and were talking on a rooftop. It was slightly warm outside, but there was a gentle breeze that made the soldiers' hair sway.

At the moment, Armin and Eren were talking with some of their squad members. However, Hana tuned them out, just staring at her boots.

"_Focus today, Hana. Focus_." She repeated in her mind. She didn't know what to expect. She'd never seen a real titan before, and she didn't know what that day was going to bring her. Hana just silently prayed that she would remain strong today and that her friends would make it back to HQ at the end of the day safely.

Hana was snapped out of her trance when a Garrison soldier on a nearby rooftop called out to them.

"Team 34, advance! Support the vanguard!" He ordered them.

With a determined fire blazing in his eyes, Eren turned to his squad.

"Okay, let's go!" He shouted, clenching his fists.

Hana's heart skipped a beat, and her previous state of skittishness and fear quickly melted away. It was then replaced by grit and valor.

Hana raised one of her blades into the air, and so did the rest of the squad. In unison, they all let out a fierce battle cry, and charged forward.

"HYEEAAH!" They howled, while leaping off the roof and whizzing through the air with their 3DMG. Eren was the first one to take off, and he led the group proudly.

While running across rooftop to rooftop and flying through the air, Hana looked over at Armin, with a wide smile on her face.

He returned the smile, until Hana watched his face suddenly turn dark and serious. She followed his gaze ahead, and saw _them_ in the distance.

There was thick black smoke rising from a few buildings. There were titans scattered everywhere. Tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones. Hana's eyes widened in shock as she looked at the titans for the first time.

"WHERE'S THE VANGUARD!?" A girl in their squad shouted. They were ordered to support the vanguard, but they were nowhere in sight.

Sweat dripped from Hana's chin, and her heart raced.

Suddenly, Eren's green eyes widened, and he shouted,

"AN ABERRANT!"

The whole squad looked where he was pointing and saw a fifteen-meter titan leap at them, its massive jaws unhinged.

"Watch out!" Eren cried, and Hana and Armin quickly swerved in the other direction just in time.

The aberrant titan smashed its face right into a building. Hana's scream was drowned out by the immensely heavy sound of its face colliding into the brick.

Armin and Hana landed clumsily onto a rooftop.

Armin quickly turned to her. "Are you okay!?"

She nodded vigorously.

"I'm fine! Where's Thomas!?" She shouted, noticing the absence of her blonde squad-mate.

Everyone looked forward, and saw the aberrant titan from earlier gripping onto a building. It slowly moved its head forward, and Hana screamed.

Blood had been sprayed all of the aberrant's face, and Thomas hung out of its lips.

Thomas let out pained groans as he tried to grasp what was happening to him.

The squad watched in horror as they heard the crisp _snap _of Thomas's spine as the titan bit down and swallowed him.

The titan's face was sprayed with more blood, and then it looked around the area with dull lifeless eyes, searching for its next meal. It climbed down from the building, and slowly walked away, its footsteps pounding into the ground with loud thumps.

Hana's heart dropped, and tears clouded her eyes. Her legs gave out underneath her, and she collapsed onto her knees.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Eren shrieked furiously at the aberrant. He immediately attached his 3DMG to a building and took off after the titan.

"EREN!" Armin called after his friend, and quickly followed behind him.

"Stop! Don't go after it alone!" a man in the squad shouted. Soon the entire squad was following behind Eren.

"EREN! Stop! You're going to get yourself killed! Don't be reckless!" Hana shouted desperately, but he wasn't listening.

He soared through the air, occasionally running atop a building.

The entire squad was yelling and calling out to him, but he refused to slow down or stop going after the aberrant that ate Thomas. He was blinded by rage, and wasn't going to let that titan get away after devouring his friend.

"GET BACK HERE! I'LL AVENGE THOMAS!" Eren screamed, his voice shrill and shaky with anger.

As he was nearing the aberrant, suddenly a pair of jaws snapped right at Eren, tearing his right leg from the rest of his body. The force of the bite sent him flying.

He scraped across the rooftops on his stomach, sending roof tiles everywhere. His face slammed against the material harshly, and blood spurted in every direction. He finally skidded to a stop, still lying on his stomach on a roof, his eyes closed.

"EREN!" Armin shouted, his stomach twisting and his heart racing.

The rest of the squad was screaming and going after him, but it was futile. One by one, each squad member was captured into a titan's grasp.

Armin watched in pure terror as each of his squad mates were viciously eaten by titans. Ahead of him, Armin saw Eren lying on a blood-spattered roof, his right leg nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Hana was on a different roof, leaning over and vomiting onto the ground far below.

Earlier, while going after Eren, she somehow got separated from her squad, and had no idea where they were. They all could be dead for all she knew.

She wanted desperately to scream for her squad-mates, but vomit continued to pour from her throat.

Eventually, all of the contents of her stomach had been emptied onto the ground. She breathed heavily, and her jet-black hair stuck to her sweaty temples.

Hana stood up weakly, her legs shaking. She surveyed around her. She didn't see another soldier anywhere.

Just then, she heard a high-pitched scream pierce into the air. It was girl screaming hopelessly.

Hana's heart started to beat even faster, and she immediately took off in the direction of the screams.

As seconds passed, the screams became more and more urgent.

"HELP! PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP ME!" The girl's voice shrieked. Eventually, Hana turned a corner, and found the source of the screaming.

It was another soldier, and she was in a titan's grasp. Hana landed onto a roof, and looked in horror at the creature.

This was the closest she'd ever been to a titan before, and she thought it was disgusting. It had dark brown hair, and matching eyes. It appeared to be male, and it had a strong, muscular chest. Its body was disproportionate, as its arms and hands were too small for its body.

The titan opened its enormous jaws, and slowly began lifting the soldier in its hand into its mouth.

Hana's eyes widened when she suddenly recognized the soldier in the titan's grasp.

She was tall, and had dark brown hair and eyes. It was none other than Maya Fiedler, the soldier Hana had sparred with years ago during training.

Maya finally caught sight of Hana, and tears filled her brown eyes. "H-HANA! SAVE ME! PLEASE, DON'T LET ME DIE! S-SAVE MEEE!"

Maya was only a few feet away from the titan's open mouth when Hana sprung into action.

She leapt off the rooftop and attached her gear onto the titan's arm. She whipped out her blades, positioned her arms, and swung fiercely.

Her blades sliced into the titan's fingers, creating wide cuts. The creature roared in pain, causing it to drop Maya from its grip. The titan continued to wail, and hot steam poured from its wounds.

Maya dropped to the ground, and Hana scrambled to get to her.

Hana landed next to Maya, her eyes searching her body for any wounds.

Maya smiled, and tears flowed from her eyes. "T-Thank you, Hana! You saved my life! Thank you so much! How c-can I repay you!?"

Hana parted her lips to answer, but suddenly the titan's massive foot slammed down next to them, sending them flying a few feet away.

Hana immediately crawled in front of Maya, ready to defend her. She turned around to face her.

"GO! GET OUT OF HERE NOW! HURRY! RUN TO SAFETY, I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE TITAN!" She viciously shouted. Maya quickly nodded, and attached her maneuver gear to a building and sped off.

Hana turned to the titan that was looming over her, and swallowed. She had just told Maya she would kill it, but…could she really?

Hana attached her gear onto the rooftop and swung up onto it. She glanced down at her blades.

The ones she had just used to cut into the titan's fingers were now dull. She could've just as easily made the titan drop Maya without dulling her blades.

Hana quickly ripped her blades out of the holders and tossed them to the side, then replacing them with new, sharp ones.

She clenched her teeth, and glared at the titan. It had a giant smile on its face, and she could even see blood staining its teeth.

Hana shouted ferociously, and dove off the roof. She attached her gear to the shoulder blades of the titan, and prepared to end it once and for all.

She swung around, listening to the whiz sound of her gear. She then swung her blades, slicing into the titan's nape.

Hana was instantly shot with scorching steam, and fell back. She landed on her back on the ground. It knocked the wind out of her, and she was momentarily stunned.

She looked up, expecting to see the titan collapse to the ground dead and soon evaporate. However, instead she was greeted with the sight of the titan still looming over her, with a hungry look in its eyes.

"WHAT!? IT'S NOT DEAD!?" She screamed, scrambling to her feet. She grasped her blades tighter, and felt anger rack through her body. She realized that she had successfully sliced into the titan's neck, but her cut wasn't deep enough to kill it.

She grunted in frustration, but prepared herself to try again.

Hana jumped out of the way as it almost stepped by her once again.

She gnashed her teeth, narrowed her eyes, and re-attached her gear to its shoulders.

She swung around, and pierced her blades into the titan's neck for the second time. Like before, steam came pouring out of its wound, but this time, there was much more. Hana was completely engulfed in searing hot steam.

Her eyesight went fuzzy, and she flew to the ground, accidentally letting go of her blades as she fell. When her body connected with the cobblestone, she felt a sharp pain in her right arm.

She cursed loudly, and felt liquid spill down her arm. Not knowing what happened, she peered at her right side.

It turns out that she had accidentally landed on her blade when she fell. Hana looked closer, and her eyesight finally cleared.

Her blade was sticking out of her arm.

Hana wailed, feeling the intense pain in her arm grow stronger. She looked to the sky, with tears in her eyes.

What she saw made her let out a sob, and her stomach dropped.

The titan was still alive.

It still hadn't found her, however. The steam coming from its neck still poured out, causing its eyes to be blocked from her. However, Hana knew that any second now it would find her.

Hana looked at her arm again. The pain was becoming too much. She felt like she was going to pass out.

She had read in medical books before that if a knife or blade is stabbed into you, that you should leave it in until you get help.

But, Hana _had_ to take it out.

Using her left hand, she reached over, and gripped the handle of the blade in her arm. She took a deep breath, clenched her teeth, and ripped it out.

"AAAAHHHHH!" she howled, blood gushing from her wound.

The pain was too much for her to handle. Her brain became fuzzy, and she felt her heart beat slow down. She closed her eyes, and took in a short breath.

That's when Hana waited for death. She practically _begged_ for it. She felt that the end of her life was near, and she was accepting it.

Tears ran down her face, mixing with blood and sweat. Heart broken sobs escaped her dry lips.

She didn't want to die this way. She'd always imagined that she would die peacefully, in a bed, surrounded by her family. This isn't what Hana wanted at all.

Also, she felt ashamed. If she died there, her death wouldn't really be worth anything. She didn't die heroically. She may have saved Maya, but she never actually killed the titan.

No one would miss her if she died. Her parents hated her, and she feared that Adam forgot her. Yes, she did have great friends like Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Sasha, Jean, and the others. But, they could be dying right now, too. So there would be no one to mourn her. No one to cry over her dead body, or miss her.

She'd just be another name scribbled on the military's 'deceased' list.

Hana slowly opened her eyes once more. The steam was starting to clear. That meant that the titan would spot her and eat her any moment now.

She smiled, and then closed her eyes once again. She balled up her fist, and placed it over her heart, saluting.

"It was an honor to serve humanity…" Hana murmured.

Suddenly, Hana heard a scream. Not just a scream, though. It was a horrified wail, and she instantly recognized whose voice it was.

Armin's.

Her eyes shot open, she quickly sat up, and her heart quickened.

"ARMIN!" she cried, but there was no answer. His screams continued. He was somewhere a large distance away, and listening to his wails shattered Hana's heart.

Adrenaline pumped through Hana, and even dulled the pain in her arm a bit.

Hana couldn't stand the thought of Armin dying. She had fallen in love with him. Hard. And, she would do anything to keep him safe.

Hana decided that she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

She stood up, and glared at the titan. It finally spotted her, and licked its lips hungrily.

"I'M GOING TO FINISH WHAT I STARTED!" Hana screamed. She firmly held her blades, and attached her gear to its shoulders for the third time.

She released a fierce growl as the titan attempted to grab her. But she easily slipped through its extended fingers, and swung around to its back.

Hana sliced into its nape, praying that this time her cut would be deep enough to kill it.

This time she avoided getting hit by the steam, and then soared over to a rooftop, landing onto it gracefully.

With a loud _thud_ the titan collapsed to the ground.

When Hana was completely sure it was dead and evaporated completely, she fell onto her knees, breathing heavily.

She wiped away the sweat from her forehead with the back of her sleeve, and let out a shaky breath.

Then, without wasting anymore time, she attached her gear to a building and took off towards the direction that she heard Armin's screams from earlier.

"Please be okay, Armin. Please be okay. _Please_ be okay." She begged in her mind.


	10. Chapter 10

Hana inhaled, breathing in the moist air. Her violet eyes scanned the sky. Dark storm clouds formed above her, casting the entire area to be darker than before. She even felt a couple drops of rain splash onto her tanned skin.

Hana hated rain.

It just brought back bad memories for her. She remembered multiple occasions when her and her parents had fought, then she ran outside to get away from them, and got drenched in rain. It didn't rain very often in the Stohess District, but when it did, it poured pretty hard.

She remembered days when she was ten or eleven years old, before she met her friend Adam Eichmann, when she would just sit outside in the cold rain crying for hours after a fight with her parents. However, she would try to stay optimistic and think things like 'Just wait until tomorrow. The rain will be gone, it will be sunny, and everything will be okay.'

But, now, Hana couldn't bring herself to think such a thing. Her comrades were dropping left and right, and she knew that from then on, things would _never_ be the same.

Hana exhaled, and surveyed the scene around her. She was standing atop a roof of a house, searching for any sign of Armin. It had been five minutes since she first started looking for him, but those minutes felt like hours, and she was getting very worried. So far that day, she had narrowly escaped being engulfed into a titan's grasp numerous times.

She attached her gear onto a building and sped off, heading in the direction her heart told her to.

* * *

Armin sat on a roof, along with Connie, Ymir, and Christa. His fingers were clenched into his golden hair, his teeth ground together, and his eyes were widened many fractions.

His expression read absolute terror.

Armin was so caught up in his hysterics, that he barely heard a comment Ymir made about how much of a 'shame it was that Armin was the only survivor of his squad'.

Connie cursed at Ymir, and then extended his hand out to Armin.

"Can you stand, Armin?" Connie asked, his tone deeper and more serious than usual. Armin looked at the boy through blurry eyes.

He stood up on his own, without Connie's help.

"Sorry for the trouble I caused…I'll go join the rearguard." Armin spoke, something indescribable edging his voice. Tears still spilled down his face, and his whole body felt numb.

Two names kept repeating in the poor, suffering boy's head.

"Eren…Hana…" were the names weakly said over and over in Armin's mind,

"They're both dead."

Armin's boot pushed off the edge of the roof as he sped off into the air, his maneuver gear whizzing as he went.

"Armin!" Connie called, but he was ignored.

As he glided, Armin noticed small drops of rain dropping onto his arms.

"E-Eren…H-Hana…" he mumbled aloud, his heart clenching.

Each syllable. Each sound, slur, and articulation of the two names made Armin want to cry out in horror and despair. He usually said those two names with a smile on his face, followed by a gentle laugh.

But now, those two names haunted his mind, tugging at his conscious, and tearing into his heart.

He would never be able to see those two again.

* * *

Hana could barely see anything. Her eyesight was leaving her, her head was pounding, and red liquid dripped onto the handle of her right blade.

She had lost _way_ too much blood from her right arm. It was only a matter of time until she went unconscious. But she had to know that Armin, Eren, Mikasa, and the others were safe.

Just then, Hana heard another scream nearby. A male's voice? Female? She couldn't tell.

But, before she could find out, Hana's grip on the handles of her gear loosened, and she fell unconscious. She flew to the ground, smashing into the cobblestone. There was a fierce _smack_ noise as her face crashed against the material.

* * *

"Who's that soldier there, on the ground?" Connie asked, pointing to a body on the ground below them.

Mikasa, Armin, and Connie were standing on a roof. Armin had just given Mikasa his gas tanks, because her gear was completely out of gas. Connie was there, offering to help them out in some way. They all three had just witnessed an abnormal-looking titan with thick brown hair and green eyes fighting other titans earlier, and Armin told the other two his plan to use the abnormal titan to the military's advantage.

As they were deciding their next move, Connie had spotted a person in a trainee uniform. Their maneuver gear was destroyed, and a pool of blood surrounded them.

Armin squinted, and all he could make out about the soldier was that they had a mop of short black hair, and they were quite short and skinny.

Suddenly, Armin's eyes widened, and he turned to Mikasa.

"Mikasa! Please, fly me down there! I think I know who that soldier is!" he begged urgently. Mikasa nodded, grabbed Armin, and used her gear to fly him down to the bloody soldier.

Mikasa landed gracefully onto the ground, and Armin immediately crawled over to the body. The mess of black hair atop the soldier's head became more apparent as he moved closer. Soon, he was knelt down right next to the body, his hands shaking, fearing the worst.

His boots and part of his pants were now soaked with the blood seeping from the right side of the soldier's body. Armin gently placed his hand on the person's shoulder, and turned them over, so he could see their face.

Armin's heart leapt, and he screamed. His suspicions were correct.

"HANA!" he shrieked, but there was no response. She didn't open her eyes. She didn't move at all.

Armin spun around, and his eyes locked with Mikasa. By this point, Connie had dropped down beside them.

"IT'S HANA! AND SHE'S NOT BREATHING!" Armin shouted, his voice reflecting total panic. Mikasa and Connie's eyes widened, rushing to her side.

Hana looked awful. Her face an entire body were many shades paler. Her black hair stuck out in every direction, and was coated with a thick layer of blood. Her white shirt was completely dyed crimson as well. Her dry lips were slightly parted, causing red to dribble down her chin.

Mikasa placed her hand on Hana's chest. She wasn't breathing, but there was a faint heart beat. It was so faint, that it almost seemed ghostly.

"Armin! Do you know CPR?" Mikasa yelled, facing him. He quickly nodded, and brought Hana's body closer to him.

Armin placed his mouth atop hers, and blew. He fiercely pressed his hands on her chest as he did so. He'd read how to perform CPR in books many times.

Finally, he lifted his head and stared at the girl in his arms.

A tiny breath escaped her lips.

Suddenly, her violet eyes shot open, and her chest rose. She began coughing violently, getting rid of the muck that had collected in her lungs.

Armin wanted to cry out in joy. Tears cascaded down his cheeks, and he wrapped his arms around Hana.

"H-HANA! Y-YOU'RE ALIVE!" He yelled out, slowly feeling the panic in his body drain from him.

Hana looked at Armin through half-lidded eyes.

"Armin…I'm so glad you're safe." She whispered, offering him a weak smile.

Armin's moist blue eyes hardened. "You idiot! Don't you _dare_ ever do that again! Do you know how much that worried me!? Earlier, you just ran off! Everyone thought you were _DEAD!_" Armin yelled, gripping the fabric of Hana's jacket angrily.

Hana's eyes darted away, and pink covered her cheeks, ashamed. "I'm s-sorry, Armin. I just heard someone screaming and I had to help them."

Armin sighed, and his eyes softened again. "Alright. We need to wrap your wound. It looks like your arm got cut pretty bad…"

Hana nodded, and sat up, groaning from the pain. She rolled up her right sleeve, revealing the deep cut in her arm.

Armin cringed, and clenched his teeth. He was furious that she would put herself in danger like that, but he was incredibly relieved that she was breathing and alive.

Mikasa cut a long strand of cloth from Hana's jacket using her blade. She then wrapped the material around Hana's arm.

Hana squeezed her eyes shut, and shuttered from the pain. She let out a light squeak as Mikasa tied the cloth tight.

"Can you stand on your own?" Armin asked, snaking his arm underneath hers to support her weight.

Hana blinked back tears and slightly trembled from the episode of pain she was experiencing. "I-I think…I c-can."

Armin nodded, and helped her up. He then hesitantly let go, and she steadied herself.

Hana's eyes lingered on Armin for a moment, until she looked off into the distance.

"So, what's our plan?"

Armin then proceeded to tell her all about the strange green-eyed abnormal titan who paid no attention to humans, and only killed other titans. It took a bit of convincing before Hana would believe him. After he explained to her his plan on using the aberrant titan to their advantage, Hana nodded, understanding.

Since Hana's gear was completely destroyed, and Armin's was out of gas, Connie carried Armin and Mikasa carried Hana back to HQ.

"I want to get stronger. I want to be able to protect my friends, instead of the other way around…I want to get stronger so I can protect you, Hana." Armin thought, clenching his fists.


End file.
